


Star Trek Hunter - Series 1

by RobertBruceScott



Series: Star Trek Hunter [1]
Category: Original Work, Star Trek, Star Trek - Various Authors, Star Trek RPF, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Ancient Libraries, Biological Warfare, Courtroom Drama, Dinosaurs, F/F, F/M, Genetic Engineering, Genocide, Giant Mushroom, Horror, M/M, Multi, Murder Mystery, Other, Pon Farr, Precognition, Quadropseudoprozadiazomine, Section 31, Space Battles, Subspace Radio Talk Show, Surfing, The Borg, The Hulk., gamma radiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-05-18 11:37:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 120
Words: 115,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19333762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobertBruceScott/pseuds/RobertBruceScott
Summary: A doctoral dissertation by an obscure professor of Philosophy at Harvard University exposes a flaw at the heart of the Federation - and rocks the mighty UFP to its core.It has long been illegal to use genetic engineering to create supermen - but there is a big loophole: Children of interspecies couples can only come about with genetic engineering. And the rules are too vague...So what happens when one of these genetically superior hybrid children becomes a serial killer?But wait - it gets MUCH worse...These are the stories of the U.S.S. Hunter - a Star Fleet patrol vessel - and its small crew of brilliant misfits who are charged with cleaning up this awful mess…Original Story by Robert Bruce Scott





	1. Episode 1 - Flash Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sneak peek into the future of the U.S.S. Hunter and its crew. This brief episode takes place 3 years in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to remove everything but Episode 1 from this post as I am now posting Episodes as separate works. "
> 
> But it appears some people are already following the story in this block, so instead I will continue to double-post.
> 
> Thanks for reading! rbs

1 - Flash Forward

 _“Utopia is not possible without the rule of law. There can be no paradise without lawyers.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin,_ _Fundamentals of Federation Ethics_ _._

Justice Irons gasped slightly as she got to her feet. And let out a sigh as she lifted the robe of her civilian office from its stand and draped it over her shoulders, shrugging slightly so the twin emblems of the United Federation of Planets, embroidered in brilliant color on the two front panels of the black silk robe, fell evenly above her breast. Like the robe, her clothing, while not a uniform, was black silk - suit and blouse. She winced as she straightened her neck. She could suppress these betrayals of pain in front of her crew, but it was taking more and more effort. The justice had disguised the signs and suppressed the pains of aging for an exceptionally long time.   
Over the past year her hair had finally gone from mostly black to predominantly gray and no longer straight - it was always a little unruly these days. It spilled long down her right side and was shaved off on the left side almost to the top of her head, revealing the leopard-like spots from her trill ancestry - once so subtle they could barely be seen but now darkening green. Her human ancestry was clearly Chinese and this dominated her appearance, although a slight tipping at her ears and eyebrows suggested a recent vulcan ancestor. Even in old age she was a stunningly beautiful woman - tall, slender, elegant, exotic. The lines on her face were the lines of a woman accustomed to power, but one who cared about the impact of her decisions.

            Irons walked unsteadily toward the door of her office, stumbling momentarily and steadying herself against a chair as the near explosion of a torpedo briefly overwhelmed the Hunter’s inertial dampeners.   
She stepped out onto the cramped bridge at the exact moment her first officer uttered the words that would summon her there - “Staff Tactical.”  
The commander was planning a desperate gambit - but a brilliant one and with good chance of success. Irons was not fully telepathic like her betazoid great grandfather, but when she focused on someone she knew well, she could sense strong emotions. She had derived her first officer’s strategy from his order to transfer additional atmosphere to the tactical unit. It was a bold move, but he was as solidly logical and cool under pressure as any undiluted human could be. He had only served with her for three years, but he had quickly earned her trust and she had promoted him twice in that time.

“Commander Dolphin,” she said, her voice ringing over the din of the mismatched firefight. Her first officer, tall, lean, blonde, middle aged, turned briefly as his handpicked operations officer, a tiny and extremely pale young ferengi, disappeared into the hatch that led up to the tactical unit. Like most of the ship’s complement, Commander Kenneth Dolphin was wearing the black Star Fleet JAG uniform - thin red piping at the neck and sleeve-lines the only reference to the operational color code for Star Fleet uniforms. The bridge shook again from a near explosion outside.  
“Yes, your honor?”   
“I want her back. Alive if possible, but I want her back.”  
           “Aye Captain,” Commander Dolphin responded, then turned and followed the young lieutenant commander through the hatch, closing it behind him.

Justice Irons eased herself into the captain’s chair, which she usually preferred to leave to her first officer. She strapped herself in and started issuing commands - something she rarely did. There were at least two new crew members on board who had never heard her give an order. Boats this size rarely had captains. They were usually skippered by a commander or even a lieutenant commander. The crew complement for the U.S.S. Hunter, Star Fleet’s newest patrol vessel class, totaled 35 (most of them, like their captain, hybrids) supplemented with three holographic warrant officers. All of them tended to refer to Captain Irons based on her civilian office as an at-large circuit court justice for the Federation Tribunal. She was the only appellate justice who was also a Star Fleet officer.  
“Shipwide…” Irons hesitated only a second for her voice to be transmitted to all the crew, “Brace for QuickQuiet. Midshipman Brazil..”  
“Yes your honor?” came the reply over the communications system from the Midshipman’s duty station, a transporter room one deck below.  
“We’re about to spill our guts. Wait for my order, but I’m going to want every molecule of gas back where it belongs. Drive plasma first, then atmosphere.”  
“Aye Captain?”   
Irons did not have time to explain this order - the Midshipman would figure it out soon enough. She turned to address an elderly looking man - dressed in civilian clothing topped with a white lab coat. He appeared as an older human male, with a gray beard and a bit of a gut, but in actuality he was only about 15 years old. “Hunter, when the tactical unit launches, simulate a hull breach - atmosphere, plasma. Make it a good show.”  
“Aye Captain,” the boat’s holographic avatar responded.  
“Lieutenant Tolon - give them a photon torpedo.”  
During this entire fire fight Tolon Reeves had been intercepting romulan torpedoes with the boat’s phaser cannons while the romulan disruptors had been steadily degrading the Hunter’s shield emitters.  
The lieutenant responded silently to the order, his bajoran family earring jingled lightly as he turned to the torpedo targeting screen, aiming for the war bird’s primary shield emitter. The torpedo barely left the tube before it was destroyed by romulan intercepting fire, creating a brilliant flash between the warring vessels.  
“Launch Tactical. Simulate Breach. QuickQuiet!” The captain followed the last order with a grunt of pain as she was thrown hard against her restraints - along with the rest of her crew - with the exception of the holographic old man standing to her right. A projection from the bridge emitters, he was as much a part of the boat as those emitters. The boat was rocked by expulsion of a significant part of its atmosphere and plasma into space at the same time as inertial dampeners were reduced to minimal power.

The lights on the bridge flickered, went out, flickered briefly and went out again, along with all the control panels as power cut out across all the boat’s systems. Hunter’s pudgy, elderly looking holographic avatar vanished. It took a moment for the crew’s eyes to adjust to the dim blue glow emanating from luminescent panels, providing minimal emergency lighting.   
            The close-up view of the romulan warbird on the main viewer was replaced by that ship’s actual image through what was now only a large window. It was a much smaller image - watching battle from the bridge of a space vessel gave the illusion of close combat, but the big ships rarely got close - their captains preferred to rely on more powerful long range weapons to minimize the chances of being out maneuvered at close range by a weaker, but more nimble vessel.   
As Commander Dolphin had surmised, the romulans were in a big hurry. With their foe apparently destroyed, they wasted no time turning and pursuing their initial goal at high warp, not even bothering to cloak so they could coax more speed from the captive singularity that served as the warbird’s warp core.  
Justice Irons waited, sensing her first officer’s roiling emotions even though separated by a growing chasm of space as the tactical unit drifted away from the platform (as the larger portion of the now divided patrol boat was designated). Commander Dolphin waited only a few heartbeats to make sure the romulans had actually left before activating the tactical unit and tearing off after them at high warp - probably setting a new speed record in the process. 

            “Secure from QuickQuiet. Midshipman Brazil - your team may begin gas retrieval now.” Irons grimaced in pain and touched her side gingerly as the lights and other ship’s systems came back on. She rose carefully from the captain’s chair. The restraints might have only bruised her ribs, but she wasn’t certain. “Lieutenant Gamor, you have the con. I will be in Medical.”   
Lt. Gaia Gamor, unlike her captain, was big, young, energetic, muscular and entirely human - one of only two undiluted humans currently assigned to the Hunter. The piping on her black SF JAG uniform was yellow for operations - in her case, flight operations. Her skin was nearly as black as her uniform - her features demonstrating undiluted central African heritage. She stood up quickly from the pilot console and watched her captain with some concern while calling for another pilot to man her station at the helm. “Chief Flight Specialist Guth to the bridge. You’re driving…”  
As Justice Irons left the bridge, she could hear Gamor complimenting 2nd Lt. Tolon: “Nice shooting, Reeves.”  

1 - Flash Forward

Crew of the USS Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
Navigator Johanna Imex  
Navigator Eli Strahl  
Ensign Ethan Phillips  
Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. T'Lok Smith  
Assit. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. Tauk  
Investigator Lynhart Shran  
Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
Ensign T'Lon  
Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
Transporter Engineer K'rok  
Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
Flight Engineer Tomos  
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	2. Episode 2.1 - The Colony of New Hope: Charter Worlds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The U.S.S. Hunter arrives at the Colony of New Hope with orders that make it clear: 
> 
> Something is terribly wrong on the Colony of New Hope... Something is even worse at Star Fleet Command...
> 
>  
> 
> _Mlady looked like a small and very pretty woman of Indian or perhaps Sri Lankan descent. Only her slightly large, protruding jaw and oddly shaped, black fingernails made it evident she wasn’t entirely human. In fact, she wasn’t human at all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the story of the U.S.S. Hunter begins...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 1 - Charter Worlds

2 - The Colony of New Hope

_“Because that mission was a disgrace and Minerva Irons doesn’t make those kinds of juvenile mistakes… I don’t think the Hunter’s command staff were supposed to make it out of there alive.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin, Interview on Subspace Radio Ivonovic.”_

2.1  
Charter Worlds

        Justice Minerva Irons got up from her desk, stretched her neck and reached for her judge’s robe. She set it upon her shoulders, adjusting it so the twin emblems of the United Federation of Planets were evenly displayed on either side above her breast. Her right hand brushed lightly over the long, straight dark hair that cascaded down from the top of her head along her right side, smoothing it and freeing some that had gotten under the black silk robe. Her robe fell much closer to the floor than the hem of her black silk dress. Her long, slender legs were clad in opaque black silk stocking with a subtle pattern. Irons could be forgiven some vanity about her looks - beauty was a powerful tool of statecraft and she had used hers to her advantage - and the Federation’s - for well over a century.  
         She strode toward the door of her office then out onto the bridge of the Hunter at the very moment her first officer uttered the words that would summon her there - “Captain to the Bridge!”  
        Her gigantic first officer rose from the captain’s chair - the only person she had ever seen make such a chair appear entirely inadequate - as though an adult had barely squeezed into the chair of a toddler. 

        Commander David Pepper was nearly seven feet tall and well over 400 pounds - all muscle. His dark brown skin had a slight greenish hue from an orion grandmother. Two small greenish antenna mounts at his hairline were the only visible sign of his andorian grandfather. The gigantic size and strength came not only from his orion parentage, but also from his human heritage, which included a number of star athletes.  
         The giant officer waved an enormous hand toward a rather drab looking planet displayed on the viewer. “Welcome to the Colony of New Hope, Min, one of the nineteen founding worlds in the original Federation Charter, the fourth planetary colony established by Earth. Population about two billion, almost exclusively human. Agricultural products: quatrotriticale, kalecorn and onions. Natural resources: bauxite, cadmium and malice. Primary industries: aluminum manufacture, illegal pharmaceutical research and organized crime.”  
         Irons would never have allowed this kind of informality in any of her previous commands, but the crew of the Hunter was different - hand-picked by her and held to standards higher than any other crew in Star Fleet. This was partly due Hunter’s unique mission. Patrol class vessels were primarily used to prevent piracy and enforce law within the Federation. But the Hunter, in addition to that also served as a traveling appellate court.   
         Every officer had to double as a legal assistant, so every officer from ensign up was required to be a licensed attorney. On top of that, to maintain a pool of potential expert witnesses on board, Justice Irons required every officer to attain a doctorate before being promoted to 2nd lieutenant or higher. Like herself, there were a few crew members who had more than one such degree. Commander Pepper’s doctorate was in literature with a specialty in Klingon poetry. 

        “What are we walking into, David?” Irons asked.  
        “Almost certainly a trap,” Pep (as everyone but the captain called him) replied. “And only you, Mlady and I are authorized to go. We will be positioned deep inside the Virtue prison complex. Extraction will be very difficult.”  
        “Extraction. Of a planetary governor.” Justice Irons tilted her head slightly and managed with only that slight gesture to emanate waves of disdain.   
         “I’m fairly certain the three of us are the ones who will need extraction, your Honor,” came a smooth, low alto voice from the tactical station behind Pep. If Pep was Star Fleet’s largest first officer, Lieutenant Commander Mlady was easily the smallest second officer. Less than 5 feet tall and less than 100 pounds, Mlady was dark skinned with bushels of dark hair that cascaded from the top of her head to below her knees. She lounged with cat-like grace against the tactical console behind the captains chair.  Like Pep, her black SF JAG uniform had red piping, denoting command. Mlady looked like a small and very pretty woman of Indian or perhaps Sri Lankan descent. Only her slightly large, protruding jaw and oddly shaped, black fingernails made it evident she wasn’t entirely human. In fact, she wasn’t human at all. 

        Lt. Cmdr. Mlady continued. “I authorized Lieutenant Smith to take her department down to provide technical assistance for the local authorities. The Iconoclasts are demonstrating just north of the prison complex. 2nd Lieutenant Tauk is coordinating from the ground operations center up here.”  
         “That demonstration is no coincidence, and I'm willing to bet those aren't just Iconoclasts down there” Irons said.  
         "Naturalborn?" Pep asked.  
       Irons nodded. “Star Fleet Intelligence believes the governor is laying the groundwork for a declaration of martial law.”  
         Pep finished her thought: “And that would require Star Fleet to support the declaration - starting with the planetary unit down at Prudence Base on the southern edge of the continent. We aren’t certain he hasn’t already made inroads with that unit.”  
         Irons grimaced slightly, then called for her director of engineering - “Lieutenant Carrera..” The Hunter’s intercom system adjusted to carry her voice down to the Engineering deck.

        Dr. Sarekson Carrera, a small, young man evidently of South American heritage with a bowl haircut, continued some fine adjustment to one of the boat’s systems as he answered, not bothering to look up, “Your Honor?”  
         “Our new Director of Flight Operations has been delayed. The Enterprise should stop briefly in this system within the next hour to deliver him. Report to the bridge and take the con. When Lieutenant Dolphin arrives, inform him that he is ordered to relieve you and take command.”  
         Carrera quickly completed his task and turned toward the door. “Aye Captain.”

2.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: At Large Apellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons (Minerva)  
> Human Ethnicity: Chinese  
> Additional Species: Vulcan, Trill, Betazoid  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Ba Sing Se, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 2.1  
> Age when introduced: 158  
> Role: Captain of the U.S.S. Hunter, Matriarch of the Irons Family, At Large Appellate Justice
> 
> Character: Commander David Pepper (Pep)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: Orion, Andorian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Laikan, Andoria  
> Introduced: Episode 2.1  
> Age when introduced: 45  
> Role: Chief Executive Officer, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Lieutenant Commander Mlady  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Undisclosed  
> Introduced: Episode 2.1  
> Age when introduced: Unknown  
> Role: Chief Operations Officer, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Lieutenant Sarekson Carrera (Dr. Carrera)  
> Human Ethnicity: Chilean  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Pichilemu, Chile, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.1  
> Age when introduced: 23  
> Role: Director of Engineering, U.S.S. Hunter


	3. Episode 2.2 - The Colony of New Hope: Pursuit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigator Buttons Ngumbo pursues a suspect through the streets of old Virtue City...
> 
> Investigator Lynhart Shran saves his partner's life - then calls for air support...
> 
>  
> 
> _Investigator Lynhart Shran sagged momentarily against the corner of a building, breathing hard and clutching his side. His large antennae were extremely active... Shran suddenly fixed his attention toward the barricade - his antennae turning quickly to follow his gaze - his phaser came up quickly and he let off another shot..._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 2 - Pursuit

2.2  
Pursuit

         Investigator Buttons Ngumbo was no longer certain whether he was pursuing a suspect or being pursued - probably both. His elderly partner, Investigator Shran had spotted cardassian disruptor rifles among the protesting Iconoclasts - lots of them. All it took was one rock thrown by an instigator from behind the police line and the entire street went up. Buttons had taken off after the rock thrower - hoping to find out who was so invested in inciting the violence. The rock thrower was fast. Buttons was faster, but he had to keep stopping to re-acquire his target - the instigator was evidently a local who knew the area well.

        The neighborhoods around the prison had a bombed-out look not unlike some of the unrecovered parts of Buttons' native Bajor. But that had been the legacy of the Cardassian Occupation. These people had done this damage to themselves. And they were human - the Colony of New Hope, located on a far-flung boundary of the Federation, was one of the earliest human colonies and from its inception had included a large faction of Earth Firsters - a group initially opposed to the close relationship between humans, vulcans and andorians that had served as the foundation for the Federation. Gradually, this movement morphed into the Iconoclasts - not opposed to the Federation, but bitterly opposed to the artistic trappings of Federation offices and, more importantly, Federation imposed limits on the autonomy of homeworld rule. The Naturalborn were the natural outgrowth of the Earth First movement and among the various Naturalborn factions were some rather violent separatists.  
         Buttons Ngumbo had spent part of his childhood in Africa, home to the cleanest, most modern cities on Earth, or anywhere in the Federation. Human cities were not supposed to be deteriorated and bombed out like this one was.

         Buttons turned a corner, following the runner and suddenly realized he had been led into a trap. As his suspect ducked into a building, two others he could barely see opened up with disrupters from behind a rusted metal barricade. Buttons threw himself to the ground and drew his phaser. At almost that moment phaser fire from directly behind him quickly and extremely accurately took out each of the two fighters behind the barricade and picked another from the roof of one of the buildings. Three pin-point shots.

       Investigator Lynhart Shran sagged momentarily against the corner of a building, breathing hard and clutching his side. His large antennae were extremely active. “Get up, Ngumbo. I told you not to chase that rat.” Shran suddenly fixed his attention toward the barricade - his antennae turning quickly to follow his gaze - his phaser came up quickly and he let off another shot, knocking down another person behind the barricade.  
         Buttons scrambled to his feet. Young, tall and lean, he was built like a runner. He was a bit taller than average for a bajoran and far darker - markers of his African heritage. Buttons and Shran did not wear uniforms - they were civilian investigators attached to Star Fleet. Buttons wore a dark suit with a light blue shirt. Shran was several decades older than his partner - half human and half andorian - an older man with a bit of a gut, wearing jeans, a gray shirt, a voluminous leathery overcoat and very highly polished shoes. Except for his almost obscenely large antennae, he looked entirely human. His looks and his strong Bronx accent came from his working class Jewish American heritage. Even his antennae were the wrong color for an andorian and somehow seemed to have something of the Bronx about them.  
         “The girls are pinned down. Get back there and give them a way out - and use your brain this time - don’t get caught in there with them. I think I saw a dampening generator - if they get that up and running we’re in big trouble. See if you can find it and disable it - they’ll put it up high somewhere.” Shran cuffed his young partner lightly on the side of his head as Buttons headed off at a jog back toward the prison.

       “Boss,” Shran said, his antennae pointing upward as he turned about, scanning the area. The communicator implanted in Shran’s chest discerned which boss Shran was addressing (he had a tendency to refer to all officers as “Boss”) and directed his voice up to the ground operations center on the Hunter, in orbit.  
          Lieutenant Tauk was alone in the cramped ground operations center. A tiny, young and very pale ferengi, he seemed perfectly fitted to the scale of the room. “Go ahead, Shran.” Tauk’s voice seemed almost that of an adolescent.  
         “We need air support down here, boss,” came Shran’s gravelly voice. “I had to step outside the jamming zone just to get through. T’Lok and the tactical team are pinned down about a klick north of the prison. Tell the pilots to look out for dampening fields. If they can jam our communicators, they might be able to jam out everything. I’m headed back in to provide support.”  
        “You’ll have it. Anything else?” Tauk was already headed toward the door at the front of the ground operations center.  
         “They were expecting us, boss. It’s going to take brute force to rescue the command staff. Better bring the wagon.”  
         “Copy that,” Tauk responded as he exited the room, headed for the bridge.

2.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Investigator Buttons Ngumbo (Ngumbo)  
> Human Ethnicity: Maasai  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Hathan, Bajor  
> Introduced: Episode 2.2  
> Age when introduced: 28  
> Role: Civilian Investigator contracted to the U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Investigator Lenhart Shran (Lenny)  
> Human Ethnicity: Jewish American  
> Additional Species: Andorian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: New York City, New York, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.2  
> Age when introduced: 68  
> Role: Civilian Investigator contracted to the U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: 2nd Lieutenant Tauk (Tauk)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Ferengi  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Dos, Ferenginar  
> Introduced: Episode 2.2  
> Age when introduced: 23  
> Role: Assistant Director of Ground Operations, U.S.S. Hunter


	4. Episode 2.3 - The Colony of New Hope: The Courthouse at Virtue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Courtroom in Virtue City is thoroughly corrupt. 
> 
> Justice Irons is injured.. Mlady goes berserk...
> 
>  
> 
> _She had left her tiny second officer alone in a room with about thirty angry men... They had no idea what they were up against..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Governor Emory Ivonovic (I - VON - no - vitch) is an important character and has the biggest story arc of all the characters. While my story is topical, it is not allegorical. Ivonovic is not Trump - or any other current politician. He is both deliciously corrupt and at the same time a man of devoutly held principles.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 3 - The Courthouse

2.3  
The Courthouse

          The courthouse was one of the oldest buildings in Virtue and a complex of prisons had gradually been built up around it. Justice Minerva Irons looked out through the barred windows of the judges chamber - a small office inside the courthouse - onto a courtyard long fallen into disrepair and gray, crumbling concrete buildings that served as prisons. These could be observed by looking out of any window in the courthouse. It seemed inevitable that what had once been a center for overweening, puritanical justice would become a seething cauldron of corruption.  
         Justice Irons opened the door from the judges chamber into the courtroom and stepped up to the bench. About thirty men in generally drab civilian clothing were seated inside. They were neither witnesses nor an audience - they looked and behaved far more like a private army. Two security guards, their drab gray uniforms devoid of any emblems or badges, stood watch on either side of the judicial platform. Irons suspected the guards were corrupt.  
         Irons’ tiny second officer sat alone at the prosecutor’s table. Apparently New Hope Colony was unable to provide a prosecutor to pursue any of the local charges. The planetary governor, dressed in a dark suit of simple, unadorned design but exceptionally well made, along with two other men in dark suits, sat at the defendant’s table. The Hunter’s gigantic first officer was nowhere to be seen - and there was nowhere in this room anything that large could possibly be concealed.   
         Because one of the charges against the governor involved the Federation Charter, Justice Irons’ first officer was required to assist the defense team and her second officer was assigned to assist with prosecution as officers of the Federation Tribunal.

         Irons did not sit down. “Will the counsel for the people approach.” It was a command, not a question.  
         Lieutenant Commander Mlady - the only person in the room wearing a Star Fleet uniform - the black JAG uniform with red piping - stepped up to the dais. Irons spoke very, very quietly. “I smell explosives - possibly the chair.”  
         Mlady’s nostrils flared. She responded just as quietly, “Pelletized nitrocellulose. Small amount.”  
         “There are no objective observers in this room.. Can you handle this many men in a fight?”  
         Mlady hesitated just for a second: “Yes, but without my phasers, it would be a bloody mess.”  
         “Get out of here if you can. Find David.” Irons’ gaze strayed briefly to the men seated in the hard benches that served as an audience for this courtroom. “Seats C-1 and E-4 - those men have weapons,” Irons said quietly. She straightened and then spoke loudly enough to be heard by everyone: “Counsel may step back,” She turned toward the defense table. “Where is the special counsel for the defense?”  
         “Your honor, if I may,” the planetary governor began…  
         “You may not,” Irons snapped. “I want to hear from your counsel. Where is the special counsel?”  
         One of the dark suited men seated next to the governor stood up. “Your Honor, he has been dismissed. Our client does not trust him.”  
             “Answer my question, counselor,” Irons used icy fury like a whip. Even in a room full of enemies, it had a powerful effect, sending a chill around the room.  
             “He is in one of the offices down the hall.” The lawyer waived vaguely toward the door of the courtroom.  
             “Produce him,” Justice Irons said frostily, then, without touching the gavel, block, desk or chair that had been set out for her, walked back toward the door to the judges chamber. The two guards moved quickly to follow her. “Court is in recess until then,” she said and quickly entered the judges chamber. The two guards barged in after her as she was trying to close the door. Chaos erupted in the courtroom as all the men in the room leapt to their feet.

              Rather than try in vain to fight the two guards off along with probably a half-dozen thugs behind them, Irons stepped quickly to the side of the door, set her stance firmly, grabbed the jacket of the second guard and pulled him into the man in front of him, bringing them both stumbling into the room. It was a classic Tai Chi technique - she was using her attackers’ energy against them. While the two guards were regaining their balance, she quickly closed and locked the door.  
             The first guard to regain his footing turned and charged toward her. With flowing, unhurried movements born of more than a century of training, Irons readied her stance, grabbed her attacker’s jacket again and, using the same Tai Chi technique she had used seconds before, redirected his momentum to send him crashing into a wall. His forehead smacked against the wall and he fell to his knees, stunned, as the second man charged toward her.  
             Irons dodged around the desk, putting it between herself and her second attacker. She grabbed the gavel and block from the desk and sent the block  spinning toward his head. The prison guard ducked this missile as Irons shrugged her way out of her judge’s robe and sent it spinning toward him. Her attacker pushed the garment away, his hands tangling briefly in it. This gave Irons the opening she needed to deliver a powerful, backhanded blow to his temple with the gavel.

             CRACK!!

             Justice Irons winced in pain and drew a sharp breath. The look of rage on her attacker’s face was replaced by a look of utter confusion as his eyes slowly crossed and he crumpled to the floor.  
             The other man had clearly suffered from his encounter with the wall and was leaning heavily against it, his forehead against the wall, trying to regain his footing, his head wobbling - quite possibly from a concussion. Irons transferred the gavel to her left hand, moved up quickly behind him and delivered a powerful blow to the back of his head. His forehead smacked the wall again and he slid down the wall to the floor, unconscious.  
             Irons set the gavel down, then hissed as she touched her right wrist. “Yeah, that’s broken.”  
             There was a heavy thud against the other side of the door that led into the courtroom - not someone trying to get in, but someone sagging heavily against the other side. Now that her own fight was over, Justice Irons could hear the sounds of fighting from the courtroom had also ebbed. She had left her tiny second officer alone in a room with about thirty angry men.

             They had no idea what they were up against.

             A low snarling growl came from the other room, along with various groans. Mlady was probably feeding - the growl was a warning to whomever might be watching her that she did not like being watched while she was feeding. If any of the men in that room could still stand, they would be well advised to leave before she attacked again. Compassion was an emotion Mlady said she admired in humans, but claimed to never have actually experienced herself. When the need arose, she would kill without pity or hesitation.  
             Justice Irons picked her robe up from the floor and donned it with some difficulty, then wrapped part of it around her right arm, creating a makeshift sling. She secured each of the unconscious prison guards with their own manacles, then opened the door that led into the courtroom. A dead man, who had been propped up against the other side of the door where he had fallen, slumped partly into the chamber. She stepped over his body and spotted Mlady seated on the floor behind another dying man, her fangs embedded in his neck, her black Star Fleet JAG uniform slick with blood. Irons surveyed the room - Mlady’s prediction had been accurate - a bloodbath. Blood was spattered on the walls and pooling on the floor. At least eighteen men lay dead or dying. The governor was not among them.  
             “It’s over, Lieutenant Commander. We need to find David.” Irons deliberately avoided looking at her minuscule operations officer. At this point she could not do much but wait for Mlady to calm down. Irons sat in the back of the room, cradled her broken wrist and waited for her 2nd officer to regain her composure. Mlady had been a vicious predator far, far longer than she had been sentient.

2.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Governor Emory Ivonivic (Emory)  
> Human Ethnicity: Serbian  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Pilgrim’s Landing, Colony of New Hope  
> Introduced: Episode 2.3  
> Age when introduced: 65  
> Role: Planetary Governor of the Colony of New Hope


	5. Episode 2.4 - The Colony of New Hope: Pinned Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violent separatists posing as Iconoclasts have the U.S.S. Hunter's Director of Ground Operations, Lt. T'Lok Smith, pinned down along with most of her department in old Virtue City.
> 
>  
> 
> _T’Lok and T’Lon, while similar in looks, could not have been more different in personality. Ensign T’Lon was all vulcan. Lt. T’Lok Smith was half human. Both were slender, dark-skinned young women with long, straight auburn hair and strongly vulcan features, but Lt. Smith’s expressive face displayed a wide range of emotions that her fully vulcan ensign effortlessly suppressed._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 4 - Pinned Down

2.4  
Pinned Down

             Lieutenant T’Lok Smith was pinned down along with the majority of her staff, taking disrupter fire. They had hunkered under a pair of overturned armored ground vehicles in the middle of a bombed out neighborhood of crumbling and damaged low-rise buildings. Ensign T’Lon’s team - four well trained young tactical specialists - all blended cardassian and bajoran - had grown up on the streets of a cardassian colony - unwanted by cardassians and bajorans alike. They were scrawny, tough and fiercely loyal to one another. Even clad in Star Fleet JAG uniforms with additional body armor and helmets, they still looked like street kids. Ensign T’Lon had easily been able to mold them into a formidable fighting unit.  
               It was a good thing - the assignment to help the Virtue City Police to control the cultural demonstration had failed. The protesters turned out to be armed to the teeth with cardassian disrupters and within minutes the police were either mowed down or had fled.  
             The street was littered with bodies - phasers and cardassian disrupter rifles lay where they had been dropped. Working as a team, Ensign T’Lon and her tactical squad had quickly driven the Iconoclasts from the street, but more than a dozen people in hardened positions in nearby buildings were still firing disrupters at the Hunter’s ground operations team. When they had tried to contact the Hunter for beamout, it became evident their signals were being jammed.

             “I don’t get it,” said Belo Rys, the oldest of the tactical squad members. “I thought the Iconoclasts were a peaceful movement.”  
             Jarrong, whose features tended more toward cardassian than her three half-bajoran cousins, responded, “They were, until the Naturalborn and some related separatist movements started marching under the Iconoclast banner… That is, if the Iconoclasts had a banner…” She completed her thought with a few phaser shots toward one of the hardened emplacements, only to observe the person who was firing at her get hit from a shot from behind him.  
             Ensign T’Lon also saw the shot. She turned to her commanding officer, “That was a Star Fleet standard issue phaser - I think it's Buttons.”  
             T’Lok and T’Lon, while similar in looks, could not have been more different in personality. Ensign T’Lon was all vulcan. Lt. T’Lok Smith was half human. Both were slender, dark-skinned young women with long, straight auburn hair and strongly vulcan features, but Lt. Smith’s expressive face displayed a wide range of emotions that her fully vulcan ensign effortlessly suppressed.  
             T’Lok looked out briefly, braving a hail of disrupter fire. “It is Buttons. How could you tell by the sound?”  
             T’Lon responded evenly, “Duration. Investigator Shran barely allows his weapon to engage. Investigator Buttons’ discharges are somewhat longer.”  
             A stutter of staccato phaser blasts brought the hail of disrupter fire to a sudden halt. They heard Shran’s gravelly voice yelling, “Buttons, up!” then within a few seconds the old investigator joined the team under the vehicles. It took a moment for him to catch his breath.

             “Need to get out of here while we..” Shran’s voice was cut off by hundreds of small explosions and the rattling of small objects on the vehicles the team was sheltering under. Shran and two of the half-bajoran members of T’Lon’s tactical squad attempted to return fire, but none of their phasers were working.  
             “Projectile weapons?” T’Lok seemed incredulous.  
             “Dampening field!” Shran was breathing hard and his voice was more gravelly than usual. “I thought I saw a damp generator being moved. Has to be nearby. We need some of those projectile weapons.”  
             “Where would that generator be?” Ensign T’Lon scanned what little of the area she could see from their shelter.  
             Shran holstered his now useless phaser, then reached under the back of his large leathery overcoat and produced a very large handgun - nothing like Star Fleet issue. “Service revolver from my days in the Andorian Imperial Guard,” he said in response to several quizzical looks. “That generator’s probably on a roof - my bet would be the highest one so they could project emitters upward to catch any low-flying support vessels.”  
             Ensign T’Lon gestured toward a nearby building. “T’Lok, if Investigator Shran can cover me, I can get up in there and try to locate that generator.”  
             Shran looked at T’Lon’s team, who had shifted their stances - ready to support her. He shook his head at them and gestured to his revolver, “Eighteen rounds. I can only cover one runner.”  
             T’Lok did not hesitate. “Go!”  
             T’Lon waited for a break in the projectile fire, then sprinted from the shelter toward the nearest building. Shran stood up and fired his revolver, each shot deafening. The recoil from the weapon required him to use both hands to steady it. Each round exploded on impact, showering his targets with shrapnel. The firepower from the antique weapon was impressive. He ducked back down as T’Lon disappeared into the building.              “Boss,” Shran was addressing T’Lok, “we gotta get outta here. They have a dampener, I bet they have artillery.”  
             “How are you going to cover all of us?”  
             “I won’t be the only one.. Your ensign picked up a band rifle in there.” Shran cast an eye toward the second floor of the building T’Lon had run into.

             Almost on cue, T’Lon appeared at one of the 2nd story windows with a cardassian band rifle - a projectile weapon similar to a machine gun. She opened up on the positions that were firing at the overturned vehicles.  
             “On me!” T’Lok commanded, running toward T’Lon’s position. Shran stood up and fired his revolver again, sending people scrambling away from their positions with each hit. He was the last to join the lieutenant and her team inside the building. T’Lok and most of the team were already climbing a central staircase. Belo Cantys, the youngest member of T’Lon’s tactical squad, was waiting for Shran, covering his entrance with another scavenged band rifle.  
            Shran heard a familiar low, percussive ringing sound (“foop!!”) and something clattered into the room behind him. He leapt at Cantys, pressing her into a corner and ducking his head, covering them both with his overcoat as an explosion rocked the room.  
               Shran stepped back and flapped the coat, sending a number of small, sharp objects rattling to the floor. “Armored,” he said in response to a quizzical look from Cantys. “After you.” He gestured toward the stairs.

2.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Lieutenant T’Lok Smith (T’Lok)  
> Human Ethnicity: Hawaiian  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Kawai Island, Hawaii, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.4  
> Age when introduced: 27  
> Role: Director of Ground Operations, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Ensign T’Lon (T’Lon)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Kawai Island, Hawaii, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.4  
> Age when introduced: 25  
> Role: Tactical Operation Squad Leader, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Tactical Specialist Belo Rys (Rys)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bajoran, Cardassian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cardiassia Imperial Outpost 19  
> Introduced: Episode 2.4  
> Age when introduced: 19  
> Role: Tactical Squad Member, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Tactical Specialist Jarrong (Jarrong)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Cardassian, Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cardiassia Imperial Outpost 19  
> Introduced: Episode 2.4  
> Age when introduced: 18  
> Role: Tactical Squad Member, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Tactical Specialist Belo Garr (Garr)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bajoran, Cardassian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cardiassia Imperial Outpost 19  
> Introduced: Episode 2.4  
> Age when introduced: 17  
> Role: Tactical Squad Member, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys (Cantys)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bajoran, Cardassian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cardiassia Imperial Outpost 19  
> Introduced: Episode 2.4  
> Age when introduced: 16  
> Role: Tactical Squad Member, U.S.S. Hunter


	6. Episode 2.5 - The Colony of New Hope: Kenneth Dolphin Commanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly arrived Director of Flight Operations, Lt. Kenneth Dolphin, takes command of the U.S.S. Hunter the moment he arrives onboard.
> 
>  
> 
> _A bearded, middle aged and clearly irritated Star Fleet lieutenant in a red uniform appeared on the viewer. Dolphin greeted him: “U.S.S. Hunter, Kenneth Dolphin commanding. How can I help you, Lieutenant?”_  
>  _“Lieutenant Allen Mitchell, Director of New Hope Colony Planetary Operations,” the irritated officer replied. “I have fire fights in my streets and your flotilla in my sky. I’m going to have to ask you to turn those boats around...”_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 5 - Kenneth Dolphin Commanding

2.5  
Kenneth Dolphin Commanding

             Dr. Carrera was exiting the bridge when Lt. Tauk arrived. Aside from the bowl haircut, the only sign of Dr. Carrera’s vulcan great grandfather was the young chief engineer’s emotionless demeanor. It wasn’t working perfectly at the moment - his expression was frosty and he was walking a bit too carefully - as if to avoid storming off the bridge.  
             Tauk wondered what had rattled Carrera. When he stepped onto the bridge and saw who was in command, it became apparent. The little ferengi almost squeaked - Justice Irons was legendary within Star Fleet circles, but Tauk had never seen an actual celebrity before. “Dr. Kenny Dolphin? The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species?”  
             Lt. Dolphin was tall, lean, blonde and arrogantly handsome. Slight wrinkles around the eyes and grey at his temples were the only indication that he was middle-aged. Like Tauk, Lt. Dolphin’s black JAG uniform had gold piping, signifying operations. But Dolphin had two solid pips on his collar - a first lieutenant - a senior officer. Tauk was a 2nd lieutenant - Star Fleet tended to draw a significant difference between senior and junior officers.   
             “That’s Lieutenant Dolphin to you, and I’m not signing autographs today, Lieutenant. Report.” Dolphin’s demeanor was calm and warm - a bit of a smile.  
             Tauk was briefly confused, then remembered why he had come to the bridge. “The tactical team is pinned down and we’ve lost contact with the command staff. One of my investigators got through and called for air support.”  
             Dolphin quickly sat down in the captain’s chair, then turned his attention to the pilot’s station. “Staff Tactical - Gamor, take Salazaar. Get Phillips up here to take your seat.” 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor stood up from her station and called for Phillips and Salazaar as Lt. Dolphin continued giving orders: “Flight Specialists Joey Chin and Dih Terri,” Dolphin didn’t wait for the communications system to carry his voice to the interceptor bays - it would relay the entire message to them with less than a second’s delay. “Strap in and launch your interceptors when ready. Ensign Sun, you’re in command of the wagon - I need your expertise on the transporter. Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth - you’re flying the wagon. Don’t wait for orders - launch as soon as you’re both on board and grab some atmosphere. Gamor…” Lt. Gamor had already left the bridge and Ensign Ethan Phillips had arrived and was taking the pilot’s station on the bridge.  
             “The tactical unit is ready to launch,” came Gamor’s voice from the Hunter’s tactical bridge.  
             “Launch already!” Dolphin’s voice was calm, but urgent. He had been on board less than fifteen minutes, but he seemed completely at home in the captain’s chair and had clearly memorized the Hunter’s crew roster. “Lieutenant Tauk,” Dolphin swiveled the captain’s chair so he was facing the young ferengi who was still standing at the back of the bridge. “Take the bridge tactical station, transfer your operation screens up here and coordinate air support.”   
             “Sir?” Tauk was taken aback - he had never been given this much responsibility and had expected Lt. Dolphin to command this operation.  
             Dolphin turned to look at him again. “You know the area and the situation. You’ve been trained for this, Lieutenant. You’re the best chance our people have. Tell the flight team what to expect and where to train their fire.” He turned his attention back to the viewer.

             The Hunter’s two interceptors (nimble 2-seat vessels with light armaments designed for ground support, in-atmosphere combat and limited open space interception) were already entering the atmosphere. The wagon (a heavily armed and armored shuttle) and the Hunter’s Tactical Unit (an independently warp capable section of the boat bristling with heavy weapons and shield emitters) were close behind.

             Tauk was at a loss for words, then remembered something important. He opened a channel to the support vessels: “All units, don’t get too close to the ground until the ground operations team makes contact. We suspect there’s at least one dampening generator down there, probably more. Try to locate those and take them out. See if you can hone in on the jamming emitters too. We need communication with our ground crew down there before you can provide close support. Pinpoint firing, minimal power. Our people might be trying to shut those things down when you find them, so use just enough power to turn them off. Let’s not have any friendly fire incidents.”  
             Dolphin smiled without turning. Star Fleet was his third career and he had only been promoted to 1st lieutenant a few hours ago. But there was no need to let the junior officers know that. Dolphin felt confident he could handle this situation, but this was a perfect opportunity to grow the young 2nd lieutenant in his career. The ferengi wouldn’t be here with one solid pip and one hollow pip on his collar if he wasn’t trained and ready for this.

             Tauk spoke up again, “Star Fleet planetary is hailing us, sir.”  
             Dolphin leaned forward in the command chair. “On screen.”  
             A bearded, middle aged and clearly irritated Star Fleet lieutenant in a red uniform appeared on the viewer. Dolphin greeted him: “U.S.S. Hunter, Kenneth Dolphin commanding. How can I help you, Lieutenant?”  
             “Lieutenant Allen Mitchell, Director of New Hope Colony Planetary Operations,” the irritated officer replied. “I have fire fights in my streets and your flotilla in my sky. I’m going to have to ask you to turn those boats around.”  
             “This is a law enforcement operation, Lieutenant.” Dolphin responded amiably, “Keep your birds on the deck and your satellites dark. I will let you know if we need your support.”  
             “You don’t outrank me, Lieutenant Dolphin, you have no authority to issue those orders,” Mitchell snapped, jabbing a finger at the two solid pips on his own collar.  
             “Star Fleet Charter, Mr. Mitchell,” Dolphin replied, his demeanor swiftly changing from collegial to coldly matter-of-fact. “All law enforcement and planetary security operations within Federation boundaries shall be conducted by and coordinated through the Office of the Judge Advocate General. I’m wearing the black uniform. Stand down, Lieutenant. That is an order. Hunter out.” Dolphin made a cutting gesture and Tauk cut the circuit - the image of the irritated director of New Hope Colony planetary operations was replaced with a view of the planet.  
             “Hunter…“ Dolphin looked around the bridge. The vessel’s interactive avatar, in the image of an older man in civilian clothing with a white lab coat, a gray beard and a pot belly, appeared to the right of the command chair, just behind the navigator’s station.   
             “Lieutenant Dolphin,” the avatar responded evenly.  
             Dolphin turned toward the hologram. “Please keep an eye on the satellites and on the interceptor hanger doors on New Hope. If one of those satellites so much as makes an orbital adjustment, I want it on the viewer. Same thing if we get a hanger door opening.”  
             “The hanger doors are closed, but several of the satellites are scanning us,” Hunter replied.  
             “That’s fine. They can look. But if a targeting scanner or a weapons system lights up, I want Tauk to take it out,” Dolphin relaxed back into the captain’s chair.  
             “Sir?” Tauk was incredulous.  
             “Commander Pepper sent me the mission specs, Lieutenant. We don’t know the loyalties of the local planetary unit. If those hanger doors open, I want a phaser, broad beam, low power on that door. Not enough to destroy an interceptor, but enough that they won’t want to fly one through it. As for the satellites, they’re antiques. I don’t mind blowing up junk if it appears to be.. uhmm,” Dolphin swiveled to favor the young 2nd lieutenant with a smile, “malfunctioning.” Dolphin turned back to the viewer. “Mind your operation, Lieutenant.”

2.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Lieutenant Kenneth Dolphin (Kenny)  
> Human Ethnicity: German American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Providence, Rhode Island, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.5  
> Age when introduced: 51  
> Role: Director of Flight Operations, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: 2nd Lieutenant Gaia Gamor (Gaia)  
> Human Ethnicity: Congolese  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Ingende, Congo, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.5  
> Age when introduced: 25  
> Role: Assistant Director of Flight Operations, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: The U.S.S. Hunter (Hunter)  
> Human Ethnicity: Mexican (hologram)  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: New Eden, Mars  
> Introduced: Episode 2.5  
> Age when introduced: 13  
> Role: Interactive Holographic Avatar, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Lieutenant Allen Mitchell  
> Human Ethnicity: English American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Virtue, Colony of New Hope  
> Introduced: Episode 2.5  
> Age when introduced: 44  
> Role: Director of Planetary Operations, The Colony of New Hope


	7. Episode 2.6 - The Colony of New Hope: Pepper Revival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commander David Pepper awakens in the Courthouse at Virtue City on the Colony of New Hope after having been beaten and left for dead...
> 
> _Suddenly everything turned a hissing pinkish orange. Ivonovic felt sick - like he needed to throw up. “I think I’m having a stroke,” he moaned and bent over._   
>  _Pep’s voice was level, but it was clear he was also in pain. “Phaser - wide beam - very low energy…” he managed. The grim, hissing light finally swept on..._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 6 - Pepper Revival

2.6  
Pepper Revival

             Every part of Commander David Pepper’s body ached. He sat up and groaned. Even the largest man could be brought down by a phaser on stun and Pep had been stunned by several phasers. Repeatedly. Pep’s head was pounding and his body was covered with deep bruises. Evidently these people had kept stunning him well after he had lost consciousness and left him here for dead. He got to his feet, rolled his head, stretched and tried to shake the beating off. It would have killed any other man he had met - even a klingon would have been unlikely to survive such a beating.  
             There were three other men lying on the floor - also victims of being repeatedly stunned by prison phasers. Pep had agreed to meet with local prosecutors and Governor Ivonovic’s defense team to work out a few deals on the local charges. Pep had awakened in tremendous pain. The Virtue City Prosecutors had not been not so fortunate.

             This room had a single door. Pep tried it. It was locked. But it really wasn’t much of a door - medium-grade plastic. Pep set his ear to it. Nothing. He kicked the door and shattered it. He pushed through what was left of the door into a hallway. Windows along one wall - doors along the other. Pep recognized this hallway from the schematics of the building. On the other side of those doors were rooms like the one he had awakened in. The hallway that led to the courtroom was on the other side of those rooms - but none of them had doors that opened into that hallway. And there was no quick way to get back to that other hallway.  
             Pep walked from room to room, opening doors, looking for a passageway into the other hallway. Stone walls. Old stone walls with crumbling masonry. On the other side of that wall he could hear a distant noise - men screaming and possibly running.  
             Pep selected a room that appeared to have a much weakened wall on the other side. He crossed the room at a dead run, not slowing as he crashed into the wall. The wall exploded outward into the hall on the other side - creating a hole big enough for Pep to crush through - sending still more stone and crumbling masonry into the hall. The far end of the hall was full of activity - men spilling out of a room. The planetary governor, flanked by his lawyers, was running toward Pep. They were much closer to him than the rest of the chaos in the hall. They came to a stop as soon as they realized there was no getting around the giant filling the hall.

             Pep launched toward them into a full run. The governor’s lawyers were both clearly not trained body guards. They scrambled all over each other and their client trying to get away from the giant officer hurtling toward them, making the governor’s escape impossible in the process. Pep crashed into all three of them, landing on top of them. He stood up, lifting the governor and expertly turning him until he had the governor pinned against a wall, holding the man’s wrists behind his back with one enormous hand. He turned to glare at the lawyers: “GET!”  
             The two men in dark suits lost no time - but they weren’t running back toward the courtroom. Both squeezed past Pep, then raced away. Evidently they were even more afraid of whatever it was that the other men at the end of the hall were fleeing from in that courtroom. Pep had no doubt what that was.  
              Pep propelled the governor into the hole he had made in the wall and followed him through. “Sit!” There wasn’t a chair, but there was a table. Pep lifted the governor and deposited him on the table. “It appears you have lost your representation, governor… At this moment, I am probably the best friend you have. So don’t piss me off.” Pep leaned against the wall between the desk and the door, recovering his strength, waiting for the commotion in the hall to settle down.

              Planetary Governor Emory Ivonovic was a fairly big man himself, but even though he was in good shape, he was too old to try to fight the abomination that had captured him. He had seen this giant being repeatedly hammered with prolonged phaser fire - set on stun because that was the only setting available on prison phasers. It should have killed the giant. He certainly shouldn’t have been able to recover enough in less than an hour to barge through a stone wall.  
             The governor could not keep the disgust from his face. Normally he was fairly adept at hiding his emotions - a critical skill for a politician - but not after a disaster like today. He was still hopeful for a rescue - this was his home base. Multiple dampening fields would prevent Star Fleet from beaming him out from anywhere other than the secure transporter pad and there were enough armed guards in that part of the facility to stop even this giant and whatever that little beast was that had just turned the courtroom into a meat grinder.

             Suddenly everything turned a hissing pinkish orange. Ivonovic felt sick - like he needed to throw up. “I think I’m having a stroke,” he moaned and bent over.   
             Pep’s voice was level, but it was clear he was also in pain. “Phaser - wide beam - very low energy…” he managed. The grim, hissing light finally swept on.

             “What was that about?” Ivonovic was genuinely curious.  
             “Counter-insurgency tactics,” Pep responded. He rolled his head, and stretched his arms - vague popping noises from enormous joints. “You’re running dampening fields. We use a broad, low power beam and look for dark spots to tell us where the dampening emitters are. Now we’ll be feeding a focused low energy beam directly into those emitters. The emitters will soak that energy up until the generators explode. Most generators make a lot of noise when you feed them too much juice - which should give anyone nearby a chance to get away before they blow.”  
             “How about you hand me that phaser,” Pep added, an enormous hand open just in front of the governor. Ivonovic thought briefly about how futile any attempt to use a prison phaser against this giant would be. He removed the phaser from his coat pocket and dropped it into Pep’s hand. The commander deposited the prison weapon in a cargo pocket on the right side of his uniform.  
             “Good move.” Pep was starting to sound a little more like his usual cheerful self. “Okay - now - it sounds like things have settled down. Back through the wall.”  
             Ivonovic could not see any reason to not comply, but as soon as Pep followed him through the large hole the giant had punched through the wall, he turned the governor back toward the courtroom.   
             “I am NOT going back into that room! Not as long as that… thing is in there,” the governor said.  
             “That thing is Lieutenant Commander Mlady - she’s the sweetest person you will ever meet. Until you back her into a corner.” Ivonovic looked incredulously at the commander. “Or if she gets really hungry…” Pep continued.   
             The governor’s eyes widened.   
             Pep landed an enormous hand on the governor’s shoulder, turning him firmly toward the courtroom again and gestured with his other hand.

2.6


	8. Episode 2.7 - The Colony of New Hope: The Dampening Generator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigator Buttons Ngumbo locates the dampening generator.
> 
> _As Buttons raced across the roof, the man with the rifle suddenly exploded - Buttons recognized the effect of Shran’s service revolver - he had seen those explosive rounds in action before..._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 7 - The Dampening Generator

2.7  
The Dampening Generator

             Investigator Buttons Ngumbo had made it up five flights of stairs past fighters who had been stunned either by his own phaser or by Investigator Shran’s incredibly accurate fire from the ground. Buttons’ dark skin and dark suit were damp with sweat. This was the tallest building in the area - chances were the dampening field generator Shran had seen earlier was on this roof.   
             Halfway up the sixth flight, Buttons suddenly found himself faced by a very surprised looking man at the top of the stairs. Buttons raised his phaser and pressed the trigger just as the man aimed a cardassian disrupter at him. Neither weapon worked.   
              The man at the top of the stairs hurled the useless disrupter at the young investigator and fumbled around his back for another weapon. Buttons trusted his speed - he charged up the stairs, grappled with the man, taking him off balance and sent him tumbling down the stairs - into another man who had gotten behind Buttons and was also fumbling for a rifle that was slung on his back.

             Investigator Buttons burst through a door onto the roof, his useless phaser still in hand. Two men were on the roof, but they were not expecting an enemy. One was adjusting the settings on a large generator, aiming dampening field emitters. The other was firing a cardassian band rifle down toward the street below.   
             As Buttons raced across the roof, the man with the rifle suddenly exploded - Buttons recognized the effect of Shran’s service revolver - he had seen those explosive rounds in action before. The other man was both terrified and distracted by his comrade’s explosive demise - he was completely unaware of the young investigator’s presence. Buttons tackled him and shoved him off the roof.   
             Buttons spotted a cardassian band rifle leaning against the generator. He retrieved the rifle in time to use it mow down the two men whom he had encountered in the stairwell - now emerging onto the roof in pursuit. For the moment unchallenged, Buttons briefly studied the dampening generator. This machine was too sturdy to be damaged by bullets. Fortunately, the investigator could read cardassian standard script and he managed to shut the device off.

             He took a few steps back.

             Bullets from a band rifle couldn’t damage this dampening generator - but with the dampening field shut down, Buttons’ phaser at full power was more than sufficient to permanently disable the device.  
             With a grim sense of satisfaction, Buttons stepped around the smoking remains of the dampening generator. “Old man - can you hear me?” The communicator embedded in his chest could now work and keyed its signal to reach out to Shran - but the signal was still jammed. There must be a separate jamming device - and that was likely located closer to ground level.   
             Buttons took a deep breath, stepped over the bullet ridden bodies of the men he had encountered on the stairs whom he had shot moments ago. He headed back down the stairs - phaser in one hand and cardassian band rifle in the other.

2.7

 


	9. Episode 2.8 - The Colony of New Hope: Fly By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth (pronounced "Gooth") buzzes the rooftops in old Virtue City.
> 
> _“Hang on to something, sir, I’m reducing the internal inertial dampeners.”_   
>  _Sun Ho Hui checked his seat restraint, then gripped the arms of the chair._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a detail in this segment that drives an important plot point in segment 2.12..

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 8 - Fly By

2.8  
Fly By

             Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth kept the wagon - a heavily armed and armored shuttle - well above the range of any portable dampening generator. He had remained at a fairly high altitude, but he was swiftly tiring of playing it safe. The heavy armor on the shuttle was designed to protect its power systems against many forms of attack, including energy dampening fields. It would take a very powerful system to create a dampening field strong enough to affect the wagon.  
             Guth could tell that a dampening field was in place because he was receiving no life form readings from the area the Hunter’s ground operations team were last reported to be. No life signs alive or dead. He tapped the life sensor readout in irritation and almost as if in response, the device came alive, displaying a large number of people down there - along with now active phasers and disruptors. From this altitude the sensors could not distinguish humans from bajorans, but they could easily identify four cardassians, one andorian and two vulcans all in one building and surrounded. Guth looked over at Ensign Sun Ho Hui. Ensign Sun was half vulcan, part Vietnamese and a few other things as well - but he was pretty much a vulcan. “Did you see that, sir?”  
             Sun turned to favor Guth with a level gaze. “It appears the dampening field has been turned off. But communications are still jammed - to the point that I cannot obtain a transporter lock. I cannot identify Investigator Buttons either. He does not appear to be with the main group.”  
             “Permission for a fly-by, sir,” Guth said. He was itching to get closer to the ground.  
             Sun looked quizzically at Guth. “Where is the logic in that? They might have turned off the dampener to draw us in.”  
             Chief Guth boggled at the young Ensign. “Very unlikely, sir. Our people don’t have projectile weapons. The locals wouldn’t turn that thing off unless our team were dead or captured. The scanner shows our people are together, by themselves and on the move. We could distract their enemies.”  
             Ensign Sun raised an eyebrow, then raised the other one. “That sounds reasonable.” The young vulcan unconsciously looked up. “Lieutenant Tauk,” The communications system directed Sun’s voice up to the tactical station on the bridge of the Hunter in orbit far above. “The dampening field near the ground operation group is off and we are now reading Lieutenant Smith and her team. We cannot beam them out. I am requesting permission for a fly-by to give Lieutenant Smith some cover to move.”

             The line was silent for a moment.

             Tauk’s voice came back, “All units be advised, the wagon is cleared for a fly-by, but only the wagon. Interceptors keep your altitude, but return fire on any position that fires on the wagon.”  
             Guth pressed a button, and pulled the control stick out from under the wagon’s pilot console. It had been stored under the console in a horizontal position. He rotated the stick 90 degrees into the upright operating position, activating the controller. “Hang on to something, sir, I’m reducing the internal inertial dampeners.”  
             Sun Ho Hui checked his seat restraint, then gripped the arms of the chair.  
             Dewayne Guth gripped the stick and took the wagon plummeting down several hundred meters to buzz the building tops at high speed, creating a rush of displaced air. If he could not rescue the team, at least he could let them know help was near and give their enemies something else to worry about.

2.8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth (Dewayne)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Wakanda, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 2.8  
> Age when introduced: 37  
> Role: Pilot, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Ensign Sun Ho Hui (Hui)  
> Human Ethnicity: Vietnamese  
> Additional Species: Vulcan, Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Hanoi, Vietnam, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.8  
> Age when introduced: 23  
> Role: Team Leader, Flight Engineering, U.S.S. Hunter


	10. Episode 2.9 - The Colony of New Hope: Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ensign Sun Ho Hui begins beaming up the Ground Ops team.
> 
>  
> 
> _Investigator Buttons came back into the conversation, “I located… and took… took down the jammer…” his voice was unstable._  
>  _Lt. T’Lok Smith’s voice cut through. “Buttons is wounded. Medical - prepare to receive him directly..."_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 9 - Rescue

2.9  
Rescue 

             2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor was piloting the tactical unit. Flight Specialist Winnifred Salazaar sat next to her, focusing pinpoint phaser fire on the dampening emitters throughout the prison complex. Dampening emitters were easy to identify - and therefore easy to destroy. The jamming equipment that was preventing communications and transporter lock would be much harder to find from up here.

             Salazaar had a bit of a Puerto Rican accent - and a bit of New York. Part betazoid, he had a tendency to answer Lt. Gamor’s thoughts as often as anything she actually said. “Dewayne will be fine, sir.”  
             Gamor had long ago decided that this wasn’t creepy - at least intellectually. “How are you doing with those emitters?” She made a minor flight adjustment and checked the positions of the interceptors. Both were hovering below the tactical unit and had taken up stations to support the wagon while avoiding getting between the tactical unit and the courthouse/prison complex.  
             “I estimate four minutes until they are all down,” Salazaar responded.  
             Lt. Gamor unconsciously looked up when she called to the Hunter, “Hunter Ops, this is the Tactical Unit.”  
              “Tactical Unit go ahead,” came Lt. Tauk’s boyish voice from the Hunter platform in orbit, far above.  
             “We should have the dampening emitters down within four minutes. Requesting permission to send the interceptors down to provide ground support.”

             There was a brief pause. Salazaar looked over at Gamor and raised his eyebrows. 

              “Verified on the emitters,” came the young ferengi’s voice. “Be advised to keep the tactical unit in the upper atmosphere. All units be advised - Flight Specialists Dih and Chin break and support the wagon. Shoot at anything that shoots at the wagon, but low power and pinpoint. Keep an eye on our ground team. No fatalities.” Tauk was clearly nervous.  
             Investigator Buttons’ voice suddenly broke through the clutter noise from the ground - “Emergency beamout! Emergency b…” the sounds of disruptor fire and cardassian band rifles cut out along with Buttons’ voice. Ensign Sun’s calm voice cut through.

             “This is Ensign Sun. I have him. Retrieving the ground team now.”

             Tauk was back on line. “Mr. Guth, get the wagon out of there. The dampening fields around the courthouse are almost down. Prepare to retarget. Buttons - report.”  
              Investigator Buttons came back into the conversation, “I located… and took…  took down the jammer…” his voice was unstable.  
             Lt. T’Lok Smith’s voice cut through. “Buttons is wounded. Medical - prepare to receive him directly. Ensign Sun, please send him up now. Tauk - are you running this operation?”  
             “Under orders from Lieutenant Dolphin,” Tauk responded.  
             Lt. Smith was clearly excited and exhausted at the same time. She paced around the flight booth of the wagon. Ensign Sun Ho Hui had beamed her entire team directly into the operations staging area in the aft of the wagon. She had come forward to the flight booth to check on Buttons and ask Sun to beam Buttons directly to the medical bay in the Hunter platform in orbit. “Well done, Tauk. Continue to direct air support. Let me know when we can retrieve the command staff from the courthouse.”  
             Tauk’s voice was clearly relieved, “Thank you T’Lok - about three minutes - I’m really glad you’re back, boss.”  
             T’Lok Smith laughed lightly, then said, “You should spend less time around Investigator Shran. You’re picking up his bad habits..”  
             “Hey!” came Shran’s gravelly voice.

2.9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Flight Specialist Winnifried Salazaar (Winnie)  
> Human Ethnicity: Puerto Rican  
> Additional Species: Betazoid  
> Hometown/Homeworld: New York City, New York, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 2.9  
> Age when introduced: 24  
> Role: Pilot, U.S.S. Hunter


	11. Episode 2.10 - The Colony of New Hope: Indicted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Governor Emory Ivonovic faces indictment on one charge involving violation of the Federation Charter.
> 
> _Governor Ivonovic walked reluctantly into the room, followed by the enormous Commander David Pepper._   
>  _Mlady leapt to her feet, clearing the ground like a gymnast, then landing lightly; “PEP!!”_   
>  _Pep bowed - partly as a gallant gesture toward his second officer - but mostly because it was the only way he could fit through the doorway._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tantalizing clues about the mysterious Mlady...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 10 - Indicted

2.10  
Indicted

                Lt. Commander Mlady looked at her hands, willing the retracted skin of her fingers to relax and cover her claws. She really didn’t have much voluntary control over this - the skin would retract autonomically, exposing her powerful claws whenever her fight or flight response kicked in. Her breathing was returning to normal. She licked blood off her fangs and wiped it from her face with her sleeve. She hated having to fight literally tooth and nail - and not just because her fangs and claws could be damaged.   
             Mlady’s unique metabolism could sustain incredible bursts of speed, driving her much faster than possible for any other animal her size, allowing her to deploy the weapons of a panther with the blinding speed of a snake. But she paid a terrible price for sustaining this blinding speed. As her cells were starved of metabolized oxygen and vital proteins burned, her higher brain functions began to shut down until she was reduced to a ravenous beast, driven only by ferocious hunger and the most brutish of survival instincts. Her victims paid an even heavier price - death by exsanguination as she extracted desperately needed oxygen and proteins directly from their blood. In this condition she was as dangerous to friend as to foe - they were nothing more than prey to her.   
             Her consciousness came back to her in surprising rags and flashes - gradually reminding her that she was much more than just a hungry beast. As her breathing returned to normal, Mlady slowly realized, as though for the first time, that she was a Star Fleet officer, a skilled lawyer, and an accomplished scientist - a brilliant biologist whose sentience and intelligence had come at a far more terrible price still. 

              Justice Irons was sitting on one of the benches near the door, nursing her broken wrist, looking more old and tired than Mlady had ever seen her. Mlady cleared her throat - not liking the growling sound in her voice. She calmed and relaxed her voice to her normal, studied alto. “Your honor?” she asked, almost apologetically.  
              Irons straightened her neck, squared her shoulders, and regained her composure before looking up, smoothing years from her appearance almost as an act of will. “Are you okay, Lieutenant Commander?” Irons almost never addressed Mlady by name.  
             “I’m worried about Pep. They tried to kill us - I think they meant to kill all three of us.”  
             “David is fine,” Irons responded. “Here he is now…”  
             Governor Ivonovic walked reluctantly into the room, followed by the enormous Commander David Pepper.  
             Mlady leapt to her feet, clearing the ground like a gymnast, then landing lightly; “PEP!!”  
             Pep bowed - partly as a gallant gesture toward his second officer - but mostly because it was the only way he could fit through the doorway.

              Justice Irons stood up - her right arm held up by her makeshift sling. “Planetary Governor Emory Ivonovic,” she said - her voice taking on a stentorian tone. “Given local conditions, I am delaying the hearing on local charges and focusing on the charge of conspiracy to defraud a charter Federation electoral system. On that charge how do you plead?”  
             Pep spoke up before the Governor could say anything, “Your honor - a moment with my client?”  
             Irons allowed herself a momentary look of exasperation. She waved with her left hand.  
             Pep draped an enormous hand over Ivonovic’s shoulder and drew him aside. His voice became very soft. “This is a far more serious charge than you may realize, Governor. I strongly recommend you take it seriously and think carefully about your response.”   
             “Election fraud?” Ivonovic’s voice was incredulous.  
             “Involving a charter Federation electoral system. The Colony of New Hope is one of the nineteen charter worlds,” Pep replied.  
             Ivonovic pulled away from the giant. The room stank of blood, but even that horrible reek didn’t overcome the unpleasant smell of the giant’s breath. He had no intention of getting close enough to the other abomination in this room to smell her breath. None of the corpses in the room appeared to have been partially eaten, but he could easily imagine it after seeing the little beast fight.

             Ivonovic whirled imperiously, drew himself to full height and stated firmly, “Not guilty. No way. Never happened.”

              Irons was steely in her response. “Governor Ivonovic, I am holding you over for trial at the Federation Tribunal. Once you are in custody, you may contact your special counsel at any time to assist with your defense. You are also entitled to legal representation before the Tribunal by lawyers of your own choosing, if you can afford them.”  
             “If I can afford…” the governor’s voice trailed off as the more important part of that sentence got through to him… “Federation Tribunal??”  
             Irons looked up at her first officer. “David…” she gestured with her head toward the governor, then turned and walked away.  
             “I told you it was serious. You have been accused and indicted for violation of Sections 2 and 29 of the Federation Charter. A charter world, once having established a democratic form of government, is protected by Section 29. Anyone attempting to defraud such an electoral system must answer to the Tribunal.”  
             “I’ve never heard of this!” Ivonovic said.  
             “You were given a printed copy of the Federation Charter,” Pep responded. “You should have read it.” 

             Ensign T’Lon’s tactical team chose that moment to bustle into the room, followed by the ensign herself. Her eyebrows registered surprise at the carnage. “Are you ready for beamout, your honor?”  
             Irons turned to look at the young vulcan. “Yes, Ensign. Have your team clean up this mess.”  
             “Aye, Captain,” T’Lon responded. Belo Cantys, Belo Rys and Belo Garr were each carrying pattern enhancers slung on their backs. They placed these in a triangle and ushered the command staff into the area before engaging the devices. Jarrong, whose cardassian features were much stronger than her half-bajoran cousins, was headed toward the judges chambers as the transporter engaged, removing the command staff and their prisoner up to the Hunter platform in orbit.

2.10


	12. Episode 2.11 - The Colony of New Hope: The Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justice Minerva Irons and Buttons Ngumbo are treated for their injuries.
> 
>  
> 
> _Tauk turned to see Justice Irons walking into the office, her right arm in a makeshift sling._  
>  _“Oh, let me have a look at that, Minerva,” Dr. Shae said - concern evident in her voice._  
>  _“Broken wrist. I got into a fist fight,” Irons responded._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 11 - The Wounded

2.11  
The Wounded

              Lt. Tauk was concerned about Investigator Buttons, who had just been beamed to the medical bay with unspecified wounds. He checked his readout. “All staff are retrieved and the birds are returning to the nest. The tactical unit has cleared the atmosphere.”   
              Lt. Dolphin responded without turning away from the viewer, “I’ll see to putting things away, Lieutenant. Go check on your man.” He waved vaguely with the back of his hand at the young officer standing behind him.  
              Tauk nearly ran from the bridge.

              The Medical Bay was one of the largest sections of the boat since it also encompassed the brig. The Hunter was cramped compared to most Star Fleet vessels, but the brig was a large complex - designed to hold up to twenty-six prisoners in very small, individual cells. All of these cells opened onto a large operating chamber that could accommodate eight surgeries simultaneously. This area was generally used for forensic examinations and another surgical bay with two beds adjoined that could not be viewed from the brig. Both surgeries contained forensic workstations. Medical offices were located fore of and to the right of the smaller surgery.  

            Tauk found Dr. Tali Shae in the office. This was not surprising - although the large, curvy andorian woman was the chief medical officer, she left most surgeries on the living to her second - Dr. Jazz. Dr. Shae’s specialty was forensic investigation.  
             “How is he?” Tauk asked.  
             Dr. Shae looked at Tauk quizzically. Her antennae focused briefly on the small ferengi - then appeared to go back to wandering aimlessly. “If Ngumbo were in any danger, I wouldn’t be sitting here, would I?” Dr. Shae was a little older than middle age and her manner often seemed impatient to younger people. “He blew up a jamming generator and ended up dropping half a building on himself. That earned him a few broken bones and some nasty lacerations and bruises. Dr. Jazz is sewing him up now. We’ve already mended the bones.”  
             Dr. Shae suddenly stood up, her antennae focusing on the door behind Lt. Tauk.  
             Tauk turned to see Justice Irons walking into the office, her right arm in a makeshift sling.   
             “Oh, let me have a look at that, Minerva,” Dr. Shae said - concern evident in her voice.  
             “Broken wrist. I got into a fist fight,” Irons responded.   
             “And the other guy?”  
             “Last I saw him, he was unconscious and in manacles.”  
             Tali Shae laughed. Her antennae twitched. “You knocked him out?”  
             “With a gavel… Them - there were two of them..” Justice Irons maintained a steady gaze.  
             Dr. Tali Shae laughed harder. “Okay - let’s have a look…”  
             Irons turned her attention to Lt. Tauk. “I heard you ran the air support operation, Lieutenant. I want a detailed report while the doctor tends to my wrist. Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.”

2.11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Lieutenant Commander Tali Shae (Tali)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Andorian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Laikan, Andoria  
> Introduced: Episode 2.11  
> Age when introduced: 58  
> Role: Medical Director, U.S.S. Hunter


	13. Episode 2.12 The Colony of New Hope: First Command

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lt. Kenneth Dolphin is evaluated on his performance of his first command.
> 
> Then finds himself outclassed by a young half-vulcan...
> 
>  
> 
> _“That would be agreeable,” Dolphin heard himself say, and vaguely wondered why he was talking like a vulcan. With a mixture of amusement, admiration and chagrin he realized T’Lok had provoked him into flirting with her - a half-vulcan less than half his age - probably not much older than his oldest daughter._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 12 - First Command

2.12  
First Command

             Lt. Gamor secured the tactical unit, then came down the hatch into the bridge, followed by Flight Specialist Salazaar at almost the same moment that Commander Pepper and Lt. Commander Mlady entered from the rear of the bridge. Lt. Dolphin stood up and turned. Pep’s deep voice filled the bridge. “Kenny Dolphin…” The giant first officer smiled broadly. “You are not relieved, not yet. As you were.” 

              Dolphin turned back to the viewer and resumed his seat in the captain’s chair. “Flight Specialists Dih and Chin - report any damage.”  
            “None sir,” came Dih’s voice, followed by Chin, “interceptor secured, no damage, sir.”  
             “You are both dismissed to your duty stations. Dock check your birds and prepare full reports. Ensign Sun, Chief Guth - please remain with the wagon. I will meet you up there in a few minutes.”  
             “Make that 20 minutes,” came Justice Irons’ voice from the back of the room.  
             Dolphin stood up again, but continued to face forward. Irons walked to the front of the bridge, stopped at the pilot station. “Ensign Phillips.”   
             Ensign Ethan Phillips looked up, “Your honor?”  
             Irons laid her left hand on the console. Her right arm was in a proper sling with a splint on her hand and wrist. “As you were,” she said quietly, looking down at the ensign, then turned her gaze to Lt. Dolphin.  
             “Ethan Phillips at the pilot station. Sun and Guth in the wagon. Gamor in the tactical unit. Mr. Dolphin, you know the reason I wanted you on this boat is because you are the best pilot in Star Fleet. But when I needed air support you weren’t at any pilot console - not even this one.” She lightly tapped the pilot console with a fingernail. “You didn’t even run the air support operation - you delegated that to a second lieutenant with no tactical flight or command experience. A ground operations officer who has never logged any flight hours.”  
             Dolphin met Irons’ steady gaze. He had been told she preferred eye contact. “Aye, Captain.” Behind him, Commander Pepper cleared his throat.  
             “I also heard about your conversation with Lieutenant Mitchell. You pulled rank on a fellow first lieutenant using the “black uniform” gag - is that correct, Lieutenant Dolphin?”  
             “Aye, Captain.” Dolphin maintained eye contact. Irons was an intimidating woman - as intimidating as anyone he had ever met. But Dolphin had faced down hostile audiences - he had spent years as the most reviled man in the Federation. He heard the giant commander clear his throat again - and catch his breathing. Dolphin’s curiosity was aroused. Irons had a reputation as a disciplinarian, but she was no fool and he had followed procedure to the letter. There was a curious glint in her eye.  
              “And how long have you worn the black uniform, Lieutenant?”  
             “I put it on about 20 minutes before transporting over from the Enterprise.” Dolphin knew Irons was well aware of this. Behind him, he heard the giant commander catch his breath again, almost a sob.  
             “And exactly when were you promoted to First Lieutenant?”  
             “This morning, your honor. The second full pip came with the uniform.”  
             Pep simply couldn’t hold it any longer. He nearly came unglued with repressed laughter.   
             Irons broke into a smile as well, then chuckled quietly. She stepped forward and put her left hand on Dolphin’s chest. “Very fine first command, Lieutenant. You and Lieutenant Tauk are the bright spots in what has been a disastrous day.” She tapped his chest with a finger.  “Don’t be too hard on Ensign Sun - he belongs to Lieutenant Carrera’s department. But I suppose I don’t need to tell you that, do I?” Irons stepped back, then turned toward her office. “Commander, set up an after action review for tomorrow. Lieutenant, get us to Starbase Eleven,” she said as she walked into her office.

             Pep turned to Lt. Dolphin. “Kenny, you’re in command through the end of this shift.” Pep and Mlady left the bridge - Mlady giving Dolphin a long and rather strange look before exiting.

             Dolphin remained standing next to the captain’s chair. He turned back to face the pilot’s station. “Ensign Phillips - get some sack time, you’re next in this chair.” He patted the arm of the captain’s chair. “Lieutenant Gamor,”   
             Gamor had almost welded herself to the most remote corner of the bridge while Dolphin was being grilled.   
             “Yes sir?”  
             “You have the con, Lieutenant. Best speed to Starbase Eleven. I will be in the shuttle bay.” Dolphin heard Gamor ordering Salazaar to the pilot station. He left the bridge with Ensign Phillips. 

              Pep and Mlady had already vanished from the hallway behind the bridge, which shared deck 8 with a large conference room, the captain’s office, captain’s stateroom and, at the back of the hall, flanked by turbo-lifts, the ground operations center. Lt. T’Lok Smith and Ensign T’Lon emerged from one of the lifts as Lt. Dolphin and Ensign Phillips neared the back of the hallway. Under their feet they could feel a familiar vibration as the Hunter jumped to warp speed.

             “Well, look at the pretty new pilot,” T’Lok said lightly. “The scenery just keeps improving on this boat.” The two young vulcans were walking with arms linked. If it weren’t for the vulcan features and the black Star Fleet JAG uniforms, they might have been teenage surf goddesses - tall, slim, athletic, both with long, straight auburn hair and skin bronzed by a lifetime in the sun. T’Lon’s expression, while composed, almost conveyed a sense of long-suffering, while T’Lok’s lighthearted smile just looked strange on a vulcan.  
             “Hello Ethan, Director Dolphin,” T’Lok continued.  
             “Director Smith, Ensign T’Lon” Lt. Dolphin replied, evenly.  
             T’Lok smiled more broadly. “I wanted to thank you for assigning the air support operation to Tauk,”  
             “It seemed the logical thing to do,” Dolphin answered.  
             T’Lok rewarded the comment with a slight giggle and a dazzling smile. But it was Ensign T’Lon who responded, “Except for his lack of command experience.”  
             Dolphin turned his attention toward T’Lon. “How else is he to obtain such experience?”  
             Ensign T’Lon raised an eyebrow, then gave a slight nod.   
             Lt. T’Lok Smith made an amused noise, then added, “Well he seems quite taken with you, but he belongs to my department. You can’t have him.”  
             “I wasn’t planning to appropriate your assistant director, Lieutenant,” Dolphin responded.  
             “See that you don’t,” T’Lok responded with a look of mock seriousness, then smiled again, “Good evening gentlemen.” She and T’Lon turned to enter the ground operations center.  
             Ethan Phillips managed to mumble something that sounded almost like “good evening.” 

             T’Lok released T’Lon’s arm and turned back just as T’Lon entered the ground ops center. “Oh, Mr. Dolphin, if you would like a drink after duty, I will be in the directors lounge.”  
             “That would be agreeable,” Dolphin heard himself say, and vaguely wondered why he was talking like a vulcan. With a mixture of amusement, admiration and chagrin he realized T’Lok had provoked him into flirting with her - a half-vulcan less than half his age - probably not much older than his oldest daughter.   
             “She must be one hell of an interrogator,” Dolphin mumbled to himself and was surprised to hear “Yes, she is,” in answer. He had completely forgotten that Ensign Phillips was still standing next to him.  
             “I have to go to the shuttle bay - up?” he asked, more to cover his momentary confusion than out of need for direction.  
             Ethan Phillips gestured to the nearest turbo lift. “Yes sir. I’ll take the other one - I’m going down to my quarters.”  
             “Thank you. Good night Mr. Phillips.”  
             “Good night, sir.”

2.12

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character:                      Ensign Ethan Phillips (Ethan)  
> Human Ethnicity:            African American  
> Additional Species:        Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Rus, Vulcan  
> Introduced: Episode       2.12  
> Age when introduced:    22  
> Role:                               Flight Team Leader, U.S.S. Hunter


	14. Episode 2.13 - The Colony of New Hope: Grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Director of Flight Operations grounds two crew members of the U.S.S. Hunter for failure to follow flight protocols.
> 
> _"Chief, you’re my top pilot. I have to rely on you to set the example for the rest of the department. I can’t let this go..."_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 13 - Grounded

2.13  
Grounded 

             Chief Guth was not happy. He had completed the post flight check and maintenance on the wagon and was ready to return to his quarters - this was not his regular shift. Ensign Sun Ho Hui was neither anxious nor bored. As long as he was in the shuttle bay, he might as well check out all of the consoles to ensure they were working properly. Justice Irons had told them to expect Lt. Dolphin in twenty minutes. It actually took only thirteen.  
             Guth came to attention as Dolphin entered the shuttle bay. Sun was not as certain of the lieutenant’s expectations, but took his cue from the chief flight specialist - he locked the console he had been working on and came to attention. He knew how to respond to Dr. Carrera, but Dr. Dolphin was famous for not liking hybrids. Sun wasn’t really certain why.

             “Ensign Sun, did you follow recommended protocol while providing air support today?”  
             “Yes, sir?” Sun answered, not knowing where this was going.  
             Chief Guth had a good idea where Dolphin was going and did not like it. He had done some fine flying and was not feeling apologetic about it. “Sir..” he started  
             “As you were, Chief, my issue is with Ensign Sun.” Dolphin had a warm sound to his voice, but there was a steely sound underneath. Guth really didn’t want to get off to a bad start with the new director of his department.  
             “Ensign, you do recall that I assigned command of the wagon to you,” Dolphin continued.  
             “Yes sir,” Sun answered, still not really following.  
             “As mission commander, were you responsible for all activities onboard from beginning to end of mission?”  
             “Yes sir…” Sun was beginning to understand what the issue was.  
             “And during the mission, was the internal inertial dampener manually adjusted?”  
             “Yes sir…” Sun’s features registered a dawning understanding.   
             “Please answer my first question again, Mr. Sun”  
             “Sir, I believe I failed to follow protocol during this mission. I allowed the inertial dampener to be adjusted and the fly-by to be conducted manually.”  
             “Thank you, Mr. Sun. Lieutenant Tauk brought your oversight to my attention from the flight telemetry. I am not entering a reprimand for you at this time. But as Director of Flight Operations, I am grounding you from flight missions on the wagon, the interceptors, the tactical unit and the main bridge until you complete the written recertification exams for all these vehicles including the Hunter itself. We’ll forgo the practical exams - I know you can fly. What I need to be certain of is your grasp of protocol. Complete them on your own time - and do so soon. I would like you to be requalified before your next shift on bridge duty, which I believe is in four days. I prefer not to enter this on your record.”  
             “Understood, sir,”  
             “Dismissed, Ensign.”

             Dolphin turned to his pilot. “Chief.. Flight.. Specialist.. Dewayne.. Guth..” He pronounced each word slowly, with pauses for emphasis - then looked surreptitiously over his shoulder to verify that Ensign Sun had left the shuttle bay. “Give me a tour of the wagon, Chief.”  
             Guth, braced for a reprimand, was taken off guard. “Sir?”  
             “I haven’t actually flown one of these - except in simulation.”   
             Guth walked Lt. Dolphin around the uparmored shuttle, then inside, “Two brig units port midship, three starboard, open passage between them connecting the rear operations staging area to the flight operations booth in the fore,” he said as they walked inside the craft.  
             “Pop the stick for me, Guth,” said Dolphin as they reached the flight ops booth.  
             Guth sat in the pilot seat, touched a control and reached under the console to pull the flight operation stick out and rotated it 90 degrees into the upright, operating position.  
             “When are you to use manual flight control?” Dolphin asked.  
             “During any operation in which tolerances are beyond computer control or when the computer is non-functional,” Guth responded.  
             “And was the computer functional when you dropped altitude for your fly-by?”   
             “Yes, sir..”  
             Dolphin kept his voice quiet and friendly, “Please explain exactly how the fly-by operation was outside of computer control tolerances.”  
              Guth thought for only a second. Dolphin was a test pilot as well. For Guth, honesty had always been the best policy anyway - especially when talking to a fellow pilot. “I wanted to get closer to the buildings than the computer would allow.”  
             “How close?”  
             “A meter. The computer would not allow less than five meters.”  
             Dolphin deliberately spoke very quietly and calmly. “Eighty eight centimeters, Mr. Guth. You came within eighty eight centimeters of a building at 412 kph with the inertial dampeners reduced. If you had hit that building you would have turned yourself and Ensign Sun into jelly. Furthermore, although you did not know this, Investigator Buttons was inside that building. You would have dropped that building on top of him before he could deactivate the jamming device - in the basement of that building - and as well as destroying the wagon, killing Buttons, Sun and yourself, you would have made it impossible to rescue the ground operations team and the command staff. You wanted to pass by 100 centimeters at 400 kph - correct?”  
             Guth’s eyes had widened as he realized just how badly things could have gone. “Yes sir,” he responded.  
             “So you were out of your personal tolerances by more than five percent. If you had set the computer for a fly-by at five meters, at 300 kph, what would the tolerance be?”  
             “Less than one-thousandth of one percent,” Guth responded.  
             “Chief, you’ve been a Star Fleet pilot for nearly fifteen years. You reached the top of the non-comm grades years ago. Have you ever considered going to OCS?”  
             “Not really, sir. I never really wanted to be an officer. I just want to fly.”  
             “I came in as a civilian test pilot,” Dolphin replied. “I had to go to OCS to obtain clearance to fly the most experimental birds - stuff I can’t even tell you about. But you would love them - there are some amazing new birds coming out of Utopia Planitia. Chief, you’re my top pilot. I have to rely on you to set the example for the rest of the department. I can’t let this go. I am entering a reprimand on your record and grounding you from operating the wagon until you recertify - both written and practical. I know interceptor pilots prefer to fly stick - and they have that option during combat. But this wagon is not an interceptor.”  
             “Understood, sir.” Guth felt oddly relieved. He had also heard stories about Dolphin’s dislike for hybrids - Guth was evidently part trill - he shaved his head to reveal the spots - which created a subtle effect against his dark skin - an artifact of his African-American heritage. This Dolphin actually seemed to care about his people and after a lifetime of encountering prejudice from both humans and trills, Guth did not detect any hint of prejudice from Dolphin.  
             “All right, Mr. Guth - get some sack time. I will leave it to you to explain your error to the other pilots - so they are never tempted to do the same.” Dolphin stood up and walked to the back of the wagon, paused and turned before walking off the rear plank, “that was some pretty fancy flying, down there, Guth.”  
             Guth smiled, “Thank you, sir”  
             “Don’t ever do it again.”

2.13

 


	15. Episode 2.14 - The Colony of New Hope: Ivonovic Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Governor Emory Ivonovic in the brig on the U.S.S. Hunter.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 2 - The Colony of New Hope  
Scene 14 - Ivonovic Trapped

2.14  
Ivonovic Trapped

             Emory Ivonovic paced in his very cramped brig cell like an impatient silver fox. The cell was designed to meet the needs of a single occupant - barely. He did not know whether the transponder embedded in his hip bone could be read from the middle of this Federation brig. At least the transponder had not been removed. An occasional, mildly painful pulse let him know it was still active.   
             This day had been a disaster and in no small part thanks to the failure of his legal team. He had no idea why they had allowed that little Star Fleet hellion to slip in a charge under the Federation Charter, but he was determined they would pay for that error. His plans had been set back by years, if not scuttled entirely.  
             There was no way for Ivonovic to be certain of a rescue at this moment. But his captors would need to move him through a starbase or take him to Earth to face the Tribunal. There would be opportunities. Given his connections and deep knowledge of the movement, he was fairly confident his somewhat unpredictable allies would want him alive and not in the hands of the Federation justice system. At least, not yet. These black-uniformed Star Fleet freaks had no idea what they were up against.

2 - The Colony of New Hope

 **Crew of the USS Hunter:** (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
Navigator Johanna Imex  
Navigator Eli Strahl  
Ensign Ethan Phillips  
Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. T'Lok Smith  
Assit. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. Tauk  
Investigator Lynhart Shran  
Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
Ensign T'Lon  
Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
Transporter Engineer K'rok  
Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
Flight Engineer Tomos  
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	16. Episode 3.1 - Breakfast Serial: Landing Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Flight Operations Department plans to land the U.S.S. Hunter on Ocean. 
> 
> The Director of Flight Operations takes the opportunity to create a training exercise.
> 
>  
> 
> _The miniature old man looked right, then left, then vanished with an unnecessarily comic puff of virtual smoke._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 starts slow, but slams into high gear when the serial killer strikes...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 1 - Landing Plans

3- Breakfast Serial

 _“The underlying problem in ethics is a failure to think things through. A true ethical system is not a set of rules, but a dedication to thinking through all the implications and potential consequences of our actions. People are always trying to invent simple lists of rules to follow and those simple rules are invariably hopelessly inadequate…” Dr. Kenny Dolphin,_ _The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species_ _._

3.1  
Landing Plans

       The Hunter’s flight operations department were seated around a long, curving teak table in the large conference room behind the bridge. The table followed the shape of the room. The department director, Lt. Dolphin, sat at one end of the table along with his assistant director, 2nd Lt. Gamor. The command staff - Captain Irons, Commander Pepper and Lt. Commander Mlady - were at the other end. The flight team - Guth, Salazaar, Dih and Chin - headed by Ensign Phillips, and the navigation team - Johanna Imex and Eli Strahl - were seated around the table. It was the first departmental meeting since the Flight Operations Director position had finally been filled after being vacant for nearly two years.

       Pep was holding forth. “Non-emergency landing protocol for this boat is for the platform and tactical units to separate and land independently. The wagon and the interceptors are also to land independently and to be placed for optimal access depending on ground operation and bunking plans. We’ll be landing on the largest island on Ocean and we’ll be parked for three weeks shore leave. Coming in, I want to give our hosts a nice air show - Hunter..”  
       The boat’s holographic avatar - in the form of an older man with a white lab coat and a gray beard - appeared in miniature standing on the table - only 6 inches tall. The holographic emitters transformed the tabletop into an island with red-streaked white beaches and reddish ocean waves lapping at its edges. At this scale, the six-inch-tall man towered over several low buildings near the beach. “You will approach from the west, flying in out of the afternoon sun,” Hunter said, pointing toward a corner of the ceiling. Tiny versions of the separated tactical unit and platform of the U.S.S. Hunter, along with the wagon and two interceptors almost too small to be seen, swooped down from the ceiling in diamond-slot formation and maintained formation as they made three passes around the conference table, spiraling inward with each pass to approach the landing zone.  
      Pep continued, “Wayne and Winnie will fly the interceptors. Ethan will fly the wagon. Gaia has the tactical unit and the maneuvers and simultaneous landing will be coordinated by Director Kenny.” As he said this, the emitters changed the scene to enlarge the landing zone and depict the five flying units landing simultaneously on marked locations on the tarmac. “The piece-de-resistance - a simultaneous landing,” Pep concluded. The hologram faded, leaving the 6-inch tall, antique looking holographic avatar standing alone on the antique teak table.

      The miniature old man looked right, then left, then vanished with an unnecessarily comic puff of virtual smoke.

       Winnifred Salazaar spoke up, “so we’ll link our flight computers to the bridge pilot console?”  
       Justice Irons cleared her throat, then said, “It will be a manual landing, Mr. Salazaar.”  
       The entire department swiveled to look at Lt. Dolphin, seated at the other end of the table. Dolphin was grinning ear to ear. “A simultaneous manual landing…” Dolphin continued, then with a pause for emphasis: “Visual Flight Rules.”  
         While no one actually groaned, there was an audible sigh as the air was let out of nearly everyone in the department.  
             Dih Terri found her voice: “I thought manual operation - except for interceptors - was only if the computer is down or the mission outside computer tolerance..”  
      Lt. Dolphin smiled even more broadly. “There is another condition under which manual flight and VFR are allowed… Gaia…”  
      Lt. Gamor continued, “Training. You never know when you might have to fly stick with no instruments. You need to be good at it.”  
      Dolphin continued, “And good only happens with training. Okay - pilots to your birds, set them up for simulation. I will coordinate from the bridge flight simulator in the shuttle bay. The rest of you may return to your duty stations or to your previously scheduled activities…”

3.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Flight Specialist Dih Terri (Terri)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Trantor, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 3.1  
> Age when introduced: 24  
> Role: Pilot, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Flight Specialist Joey Chin (Joey)  
> Human Ethnicity: Chinese American  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Ba Sing Se, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 3.1  
> Age when introduced: 20  
> Role: Pilot, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Navigator Johanna Imex (Jo Jo)  
> Human Ethnicity: Tutsi  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Mbuye, Rwanda, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 3.1  
> Age when introduced: 35  
> Role: Navigator, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Navigator Eli Strahl (Eli)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Betazoid, Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Eden, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 3.1  
> Age when introduced: 21  
> Role: Navigator, U.S.S. Hunter


	17. Episode 3.2 - Breakfast Serial: Breakfast on the U.S.S. Challenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Thunes prepare for an intimate breakfast.
> 
>  
> 
> _He had no idea where the knife came from..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took my writing cue for this chapter from the great Stephen King...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 2 - Breakfast on the U.S.S. Challenger

3.2  
Breakfast on the U.S.S. Challenger

      Lezra Thune had gotten up just to have breakfast with her husband. They were assigned to different shifts this month and this was his shift. She tossed her hair up in a bun, revealing the subtle spots running down the sides of her head and neck, splitting to form two lines toward her breasts and a wider stripe of spots down her back. They were not as pronounced as those on a trill - Lezra was half trill and half human. But the spots were fascinating to her husband, which was refreshing to her. It wasn’t uncommon for her to receive disapproving glances from humans or trills - even in Star Fleet - even here on the U.S.S. Challenger - a deep space vessel where everyone knew everyone else in a crew that numbered less than 180. Mrs. Thune usually wore her hair down, which, along with her uniform, generally covered her spots.  
      John Thune stepped up behind his wife, wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck. Then, as she relaxed back into him, he plunged a knife deep into her neck, severing her spine with sudden strength. He had no idea where the knife came from - he stared at it in deep confusion as his wife’s lifeless body slumped to the floor - then just as suddenly he plunged the knife again and again into his own heart - a look of blank horror on his face as he collapsed to the floor, still stabbing himself.   
       The Challenger’s life sensors, reading the sudden change in their lifesigns, set off the ship’s klaxons, sending the ship immediately to red alert. Within a minute the Thunes were both beamed directly to the ship’s medical bay - but it was too late for both of them. Both were damaged beyond revival - they had died almost before they had hit the deck.

3.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Lieutenant Lezra Thune (Lezra)  
> Human Ethnicity: German American  
> Additional Species: Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Duluth, Minnesota, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 3.2  
> Age when introduced: 28  
> Role: Surgery Team Leader, U.S.S. Challenger, Murder Victim
> 
> Character: Flight Engineer John Thune (John)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Eden, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 3.2  
> Age when introduced: 31  
> Role: Flight Engineer, U.S.S. Challenger, Murder Victim


	18. Episode 3.3 - Breakfast Serial: Landing Assignments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Flight Department receive their landing assignments.
> 
> _“Director T’Lok Smith will fly second seat with Salazaar,” Dolphin continued, suppressing a smile as Winnifred Salazaar made a slight fist bump and mouthed a silent “Yes” to himself - T’Lok was wildly popular with the crew._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 3 - Landing Assignments

3.3  
Landing Assignments

       Five days of training on the U.S.S. Hunter went by as though they were only five minutes - but with new details each day to add to the stress… Starbase Eleven orbited Ocean - a world so-named because it was almost entirely ocean. This made it a superb resource for a starbase - no shortage of water, plenty of raw ore on moons and asteroids scattered throughout the solar system and the small number of islands on the planet’s southern hemisphere were superb for growing food.   
      The family that operated the entire multi-island farming complex and the resort on the main island was a large, extended family of vulcans and humans - headed by four vulcan/human hybrid siblings - a son and three daughters of Justice Irons. Their father, the judge’s ex-husband, also lived on the island along with his third wife and several more children. And grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And great, great grandchildren..  
       Which made the island an unusually welcoming place for Justice Irons and her crew. Accommodations on the Hunter were cramped and spare, so whenever possible, the crew would spend time planetside. Having the Hunter landed on the island a short walk away from the resort - and the beach where a number of personnel had chosen to camp out under the stars - allowed for a minimal crew to be aboard at any given time.

        Thirty minutes before the Hunter reached orbit, Lt. Dolphin gathered the pilots in the shuttle bay for a final standing briefing. “Okay, the last few dry runs went rather well. But simulating manual operation is pretty much a contradiction in terms. The simulators will get you close, but they’re not the real thing. VFR means, among other things, reducing your inertial dampeners. I don’t want you to do that until you’re slowed to 30 kph - that will be about two minutes before we come in for final landing. Feel the wind. If anything feels wrong, switch back to computer control with full dampeners. Trust your guts.”   
        “Don’t worry boss, we’re ready,” Guth said.  
       “I see Investigator Shran has been contaminating my department too,” Lt. Dolphin observed, dryly, provoking some quiet laughter. “Final assignments - here are your flight-mates… Commander Pepper will be in the chair looking over my shoulder on the main bridge. Lieutenant Gamor - Captain Irons will be on the tactical unit with you.”  
      “No pressure at all,” Gaia Gamor quipped, earning a nervous laugh from the other pilots.  
      “Since the tactical unit doesn’t actually have windows, you can’t use visual flight rules. So keep your inertial dampeners on full and fly it by the numbers,” Dolphin said.  
       “Aye Sir,” Gamor replied.  
       “Ethan, you will have Dr. Tali Shae and Mlady on the wagon,” Dolphin observed his ensign suppressing a shiver - Phillips was terrified of Mlady. And he wasn’t the only one. Several crew members were fascinated by the boat’s minuscule operations officer and her catlike grace. To others, her presence was deeply disturbing - like standing too close to a leopard. “Director T’Lok Smith will fly second seat with Salazaar,” Dolphin continued, suppressing a smile as Winnifred Salazaar made a slight fist bump and mouthed a silent “Yes” to himself - T’Lok was wildly popular with the crew. “And Dr. Carrera will ride second seat with you, Guth.”  
      Chief Guth raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think he’s forgiven me for getting Ensign Sun into trouble.”  
      “Well, you have to bury the hatchet at some point,” Dolphin continued.  
      “If he’s riding second seat in the interceptor, the only place for him to bury a hatchet would be in the back of my skull,” Guth observed - provoking much needed laughter among the pilots.  
       Dolphin brought his hands together with a loud clap. “Okay - pilots to your stations - Straighten Up!”  
      The pilots clapped loudly twice in unison and shouted, “Fly Right!”

3.3


	19. Episode 3.4 - Breakfast Serial: Captain Summers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Summers reaches out to the Hunter's Ground Operations Department for assistance investigating a serial killing.
> 
>  
> 
> _“I have quarantined the Challenger, Captain. We had what appeared to be a murder/suicide this morning. But when I reported it to Star Fleet it appears what we’re dealing with is a serial killer..."_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 4 - Captain Summers

3.4  
Captain Summers

      T’Lok Smith, Tauk, Lynhart Shran and Buttons Ngumbo were seated in the captain’s office across the room from Justice Irons, who sat primly at her desk, her right arm still in a sling. Everyone’s attention was focused on a large viewer on the rear wall. A bearded Star Fleet captain in a red uniform dominated the screen. “Captain Irons,” he was saying, “you might not remember me, but I served on the Intrepid when you were the captain of that vessel. I was just an ensign. Seeing you in command of a Star Fleet vessel again is like a trip back through time. It must have been almost 30 years ago and you haven’t aged a day.”  
       “If only that were true, Captain Summers. Unfortunately, it’s the changes on the inside that really take their toll. I do remember a mischievous, bearded young ensign… you wear your years well, Captain. I understand you have ordered your ship stopped and have delayed your visit to Starbase Eleven.”  
       “I have quarantined the Challenger, Captain. We had what appeared to be a murder/suicide this morning. But when I reported it to Star Fleet it appears what we’re dealing with is a serial killer. I don’t want to risk your investigators coming aboard, but we don’t have experienced detectives on our crew. I understand your investigative team is exceptional. I would like to have my first officer, Commander Lashonda Williams, coordinate with your team to investigate. The killer must still be on board. I know every person on this crew and since we have been on patrol near the Beta Quadrant, well outside Federation territory, there is no way any of them could have been involved in the other murders.”  
       “We will help however we can. T’Lok?”  
       T’Lok smiled, provoking a look of genuine surprise from Captain Summers - he had probably never seen a smiling vulcan before. “Lieutenant Tauk heads my investigations team. She turned to address her assistant director. “Tauk - I will want daily briefings and you are to contact me immediately if you feel it is needed. Since you can’t board the Challenger, you can work from the Ground Ops Center.”  
       Justice Irons spoke up. “We can do better than that. I will have my old office at the resort cleared out and your team can set up shop there.”  
       Lt. Tauk stood up. “Captain Summers - thank you for reaching out for my team. We will be very happy to have you in our debt.” The little ferengi wore a mischievous grin.  
      Summers laughed, then said, “Rule of Acquisition 111… Treat people in your debt like family; exploit them..”  
       “I heard you have had extensive dealings with my people,” Tauk said.  
      “There is a certain honor and directness about the ferengi I have come to admire, Lieutenant. I’m sure you’re the right man for the job.”

3.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Captain DeForest Summers (Forest)  
> Human Ethnicity: English American  
> Additional Species: NA  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Nashville, Tennesee, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 3.4  
> Age when introduced: 49  
> Role: Captain, U.S.S. Challenger


	20. Episode 3.5 - Breakfast Serial: Surfing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the Hunter's crew begins their shore leave on Ocean, the investigations team begins their investigation of the serial killing on the U.S.S. Challenger.
> 
> _Even though T’Lok was only half-vulcan, she was still slightly telepathic and Tauk could occasionally sense her emotions. He could definitely feel her fear now._   
>  _“Tauk,” she said, her voice hushed, “this isn’t murder… It’s genocide..”_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 5 - Surfing

3.5  
Surfing

      Less than forty minutes after a perfect, simultaneous landing on the largest island on Ocean, a third of the Hunter’s crew - led by several who had the ability to pull rank - were out of uniform, in swimwear and on the beach. Several were paddling surfboards out onto the waves. T’Lok and T’Lon were already out off the north shore seeking 40’ waves. They had grown up together in Hawaii and were expert surfers.   
       Dr. Carrera, who had grown up in Chile and was also an expert surfer, was on the west shore beach giving basic refresher surfing lessons to an odd collection of engineers, doctors, pilots and three of T’Lon’s tactical team. It was really more of a run-through of safety issues. People who worked with T’Lok, T’Lon and Dr. Carrera were generally eager to take advantage of their surfing expertise. As a result, surfing had become a favorite sport among the Hunter’s crew and this was not their first layover at Starbase Eleven.  
       Kenny Dolphin had grown up in Rhode Island and had never surfed. That inexperience, plus his height and age made him uniquely awkward. For several hours he failed and failed and failed again to get up on waves that his pilots and navigators surfed effortlessly. At the end of the day, exhausted and waterlogged, he had only managed to stand on the board for a few seconds.

        Tauk worked with his investigators from the ground operations center on the Hunter until the landing was completed. Then they moved into Justice Irons’ old office in the beach resort, which was a dramatic improvement - open, spacious, loaded with communications equipment with multiple screens, computers and workstations much more powerful than would be available on the Hunter. The office was on the second floor with a broad balcony and moveable glass walls that allowed an open view of much of the rest of the Hunter’s crew, enjoying life on the beach. The little ferengi was no fan of seawater and was soon absorbed in his task.   
      With help from Investigator Buttons Ngumbo, he plotted an enormous map showing the progression of identified incidents. “Started on the Trill homeworld,” Tauk said. “Ngumbo - that’s victim zero,” he enlarged an image of a dark-haired man with leopard spots on the sides of his neck. “Roger Sass - half human, half trill. Murdered by his wife, Linda Sass.”  
       “And she then killed herself?” Buttons asked.  
       “No - that’s a new feature to these incidents. It started after the third incident,” Tauk said. “She was caught literally red-handed and requested a telepathic scan, which was conducted by a vulcan named Savar. They both lost consciousness immediately. He recovered. She died within minutes.”  
      “You said that the murder/suicides started after the third incident - what about incidents two and three?” Buttons asked.  
       “Similar to the first. In one case the telepath was a betazoid, in the other it was another vulcan. In both cases the telepaths experienced tremendous pain and the murderer died immediately. After that, the various detective services got their act together, recognized they were investigating a serial killer and put out alerts to not use telepathic scans,” Tauk said. “And the killer immediately changed M.O. The fourth incident was on Deep Space 9 and that was the first of the murder/suicides. It took two of those to verify that it was the breakfast killer and not an outlier.”  
       “Breakfast killer?” Buttons asked.  
       Investigator Lynhart Shran had been in communication with the U.S.S. Challenger, downloading every bit of evidence they could send and interviewing various crew members using the viewer at his workstation. He turned around and said, “Killer’s signature. Every incident involved a married couple - one human, one part human/part trill. The human spouse is the killer and then commits suicide. Every one of them takes place over breakfast.”  
       “We have the outline now,” Tauk said. “T’Lok,” the communicator embedded in the young lieutenant’s chest keyed his voice to Lt. T’Lok Smith’s communicator.   
       “Go ahead Tauk,” T’Lok responded. “Are you planning to take me off my beach?”  
      Tauk was excited, “We have an outline and a strategy. It would be easier if you come to us. This is a nice office. By the way - we saw you and T’Lon out on those big waves - you looked good out there..”  
       T’Lok laughed - Tauk could hear the warmth in her voice. “We’ve had a great day out here while you and your men have been hard at work. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Make that 30. Go ahead and order some food and let your guys hit the beach.”

             Small cooking fires had started up on the beach and many of the Hunter’s crew were bunked outside under the stars. A few were stationed on the Hunter’s platform unit at all times, and the pilots bunked either in the open or in small tents near the tactical unit, the wagon and the two interceptors. Others stayed in the resort. The Hunter’s first and second officers, Pep and Mlady, made the rounds together, visiting each group on the beach.   
       Dolphin also made the rounds, taking time to take a drink or eat a morsel with each of the groups. He crossed paths a few times with T’Lok and T’Lon, who were doing the same, together, sometimes walking with arms linked. They had been friends since early childhood.  
       Kenny Dolphin parted ways with the young vulcans and found a space not too isolated, but not in anyone’s path to lay down on the beach and look up at the stars. It had been ages since he had felt so much at peace - longer than he could remember. For forty-five years he had lived in New England and New York - never even venturing as far as Pennsylvania.   
       Here he was at age 51 on another planet for the first time in his life. The island was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, warm and comfortable. And there was something about the air that seemed to clear his head. Time seemed to stand still even as the stars moved slowly overhead. He didn’t want to think about anything - just to soak up this moment. 

       Lt. Dolphin gradually became aware of Ensign T’Lon not because he heard her or saw her, but rather he felt her mind, wordlessly seeking and receiving permission to join him. She lay down silently next to him. No words or physical contact. They didn’t look at each other. But he was aware of her mind very lightly in contact with his - a wordless presence within arm’s reach, a mental touch, silently sharing the moment with him.

       When Lt. T’Lok Smith finally joined Tauk in the investigations office it was dark outside, Buttons and Shran had left and Tauk had not turned on any lights. He sat in the glow of several surrounding workstations looking quite glum. His mood contrasted considerably with the ebullience T’Lok had heard in the young ferengi’s voice over the communicator only a half-hour previously.  
      A neat progression was displayed holographically in the center of the room with eight incident markers following a curving line from the Challenger’s current becalmed location in quarantine to a station located near the badlands, to Deep Space 9, to Bajor, to the Trill homeworld, to a science station on a moon circling a planet with a pre-warp civilization and ending with to two locations along the Romulan border where the U.S.S. Vox and the U.S.S. Enterprise had been on patrol.  
       T’Lok sat down next to Tauk and stared with him at the progression.   
      “Looks great, doesn’t it?” Tauk said. “A nice, simple progression.”  
      T’Lok nodded silently.  
       “Now watch what happens when I animate it. One second equals one 24-hour day. Run animation.” The computer knew when it was being talked to. The incident markers went dark, then the marker on the Trill homeworld lit up. About a minute later, the marker for the Vox’s patrol station lit up and less than a second later, the marker on Bajor lit up. Nearly a minute later it was Deep Space 9, then less than a second later markers on either side of Bajor lit up simultaneously. The last two markers were the Enterprise’s duty station on the Romulan border then the Challenger - located on separate ends of the chart. They lit up within five seconds of each other.  
      “Not in order,” T’Lok observed.   
      “It isn’t a pattern at all,” Tauk replied. “It’s simply not possible. At top warp it would take at least ten days to get from the Enterprise on the Romulan border to the Challenger just outside this system.”  
       T’Lok was watching Tauk now.   
       “It gets worse,” he said. “Much worse. Display initial set.”  
      Again, the computer knew when it was being addressed and responded by shrinking the map with the location markers so it displayed the entire United Federation of Planets. In addition the eight red location markers, another nineteen green location markers showed up - five of them around Earth and two on Vulcan. 

      T’Lok stood up slowly - then, just as slowly sat back down, staring at the display. “Lieutenant, what am I looking at?”  
       “Seventeen accidents and two missing vessel reports. All involve the death of a married or committed couple - one human, one half-human and half-trill.” Tauk’s voice was as grim as T’Lok had ever heard. “It gets worse - these deaths cover a ten-year span and several of the accidents killed more than the couple involved. And the last two green incidents coincide with the red incidents.”  
       T’Lok was getting used to bad news. “That isn’t the worst of it, is it?”  
      “Display Earth only,” said Tauk. The display rapidly shifted until it only showed the revolving Earth. All five incidents were on the eastern seaboard of the North American continent. “Home in on the group.” The continent kept growing. “Two in New York City, one in Providence, Rhode Island. Hartford, Connecticut and the first one in Boston, Massachusetts. Look at the date stamp.”  
      It took T’Lok a few moments to realize the significance of this information. Her eyes widened - as if they weren’t wide enough already.  
       “There’s more,” said Tauk. “Four dead in a fire in a breakfast diner. Sixteen dead in a building explosion - during a breakfast ceremony. At least two killers, two different M.O., but the same target populations and same signature. I didn’t find it in every one of these incidents - but most of them.” Tauk put his hands on his knees and leaned forward, speaking more softly. “T’Lok, the trill disapprove of interspecies romance and breeding far more than most Federation member species. There aren’t a lot of half-trill, half-humans running around. Twenty-nine of them, twenty-nine confirmed deaths in ten years. Out of a total population of less than 3,000. That’s about one in every one-hundred and three.”  
       T’Lok took a deep breath. Tauk had never seen her look so frightened. If a smiling vulcan was just weird, a terrified vulcan was almost infectiously terrifying. Even though T’Lok was only half-vulcan, she was still slightly telepathic and Tauk could occasionally sense her emotions. He could definitely feel her fear now.  
       “Tauk,” she said, her voice hushed, “this isn’t murder… It’s genocide..”

3.5


	21. Episode 3.6 - Breakfast Serial: A Private Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Irons family gathers for a private family dinner. Irons is the matriarch of a vast family that includes members of several species.
> 
>  
> 
> _Similar features on faces from dozens of different species - distinctive features from one species mingling with the next - almost as though a new race were being born out of the combination of many..._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 6 - A Private Dinner

3.6  
A Private Dinner

      Minerva Irons was attending a private family dinner - private meaning family members only - it was far from an intimate affair. The only member of Captain Irons’ crew present was her andorian chief medical officer and best friend, Dr. Tali Shae. And since one of Dr. Shae’s nieces was married to one of the Justice’s great grandchildren, she was technically family as well. They sat next to each other and across from Irons’ first husband, an elderly vulcan named Mavar and his current wife, a much younger vulcan named T’mov.  
       Four of Irons’ children from her first marriage lived on Ocean and were at the table along with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and two babies - Irons’ great-great-great-grandchildren. Another child by her first marriage - the youngest - had travelled from Earth for this reunion. Additionally, children from her three other marriages were present - three of them predominately human, one part denobulan and one whose father was half bajoran, half cardassian. And a dozen or so of their descendants.  
      Mavar’s son by his second marriage and four children by his current marriage also lived on Ocean along with their families - all of whom were present around a number of joined tables with a large serving table inside the open inner ring.  
       In all, well over sixty people with heritage from nearly two-dozen separate species - all of whom were related by blood or marriage - were seated around this large ballroom. Six generations of an enormous family. While Mavar’s other descendants were exclusively vulcan, Irons’ children were as liberal about interspecies marriage as their matriarch. And every one of Irons’ descendants had inherited whatever blend of genetics that had made Justice Minerva Irons such a remarkable beauty. Similar features on faces from dozens of different species - distinctive features from one species mingling with the next - almost as though a new race were being born out of the combination of many. And these were only that minority of her descendants who had been able to make the journey.  
       If Irons could be forgiven some vanity about her exceptional beauty, her pride in her massive and extremely diverse brood was equally understandable, evident to all present and a source of amusement. Among her descendants were Star Fleet officers, elected officials, eminent scientists and many, many lawyers and judges. 

      Although she had visited here just a little over a year previously, Irons was concerned about her first husband - he looked much older than when she had last seen him. His current wife, T’mov, spoke up, “You still look entirely unchanged, Minerva.”  
       Irons replied, “I want to thank you again, T’mov, for opening your home and your lives to my crew and my family.”  
       “You and your family are my family, Minerva. Your friends are people of good character and their presence welcome. Mavar and I have kept your old rooms in the main building for you in hopes that when you eventually retire, you will return home. It is my selfish wish that you join us sooner rather than later.”  
       Mavar stretched his neck with some effort. “I near my two-hundredth year and old age has me firmly in its grasp. Given you are only a quarter vulcan, I find your apparently perpetual youth both surprising and surprisingly gratifying.”  
       Irons’ looked down at her right arm, still in a sling. “Alas, that youth is not so apparent on the inside. The end of my years is also approaching with dismaying haste.”  
      “I wasn’t going to ask,” Mavar said, “But from your good doctor’s expression I gather the story is quite amusing…”  
       “I got into a fist fight with a couple of men,” Irons replied with a faint grin. “I ended up knocking them both out with a gavel and broke my wrist in the process. Tali recommended we let the bone heal itself the old-fashioned way. Apparently my bones are no longer strong enough for sonic-growth/bone replication therapy.”  
       Mavar raised an eyebrow - the vulcan equivalent of a belly laugh. “A gavel? How appropriate…” Various family members laughed while other vulcans joined in a flurry of eyebrow raising.  
       “Twenty years ago I would have juggled them like colored balls - well, considering their girth - bowling balls.” Irons’ wry humor was infectious.  
       Mavar got unsteadily to his feet, provoking everyone else around the tables to rise as well. T’mov handed him a glass containing a sparkling yellow drink made from pineapples that had been harvested from less than a mile away. “You are here. And I am still here. And our families are with us. Do you remember our marriage contract negotiations?”  
      Minerva Irons smiled at her first husband’s odd reference, wondering where he was going. “Vividly. It is the only time I think I ever saw you nervous.”  
      “I gave you everything you asked for, a fifteen year marriage contract - non-renewable, nine children, custody arrangements and the requirement that all of our children and their descendants maintain the Irons family name. I had never seen a document like it. Page after page of requirements. Solidly logical, except for one thing. I did not see the logic in my taking your family name as well. The only provision I did not agree to.”  
      Irons laughed, “Mavar, you might have been able to talk me out of many of those provisions…”  
       “I’m glad I did not. Over the years I have come to see the wisdom in them. I actually heard it first from a ferengi trader many years ago. He said, ‘Never try to cheat an Irons. When you deal with one of them, you’re dealing with all of them. And they’re everywhere’.” The elderly vulcan managed a slight smile. And then coughed slightly. “So I wanted to take this late date to let you know I have come to agree to all of your terms. A few months ago, I legally changed my name. And now all of my children shall be known as the children of Mavar Irons.”  
      Dr. Tali Shae lifted her glass. “That is well worth drinking to - family”  
       Several of the people in the room lifted their glasses as well, filled with various drinks, and echoed her sentiment in several different languages - “Family.”  
      T’mov assisted her elderly husband back into his chair.

3.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Mavar Irons (Mavar)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Main Island, Ocean  
> Introduced: Episode 3.6  
> Age when introduced: 198  
> Role: Farmer
> 
> Character: T’Mov Irons (T’Mov)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Vulcana Regar, Vulcan  
> Introduced: Episode 3.6  
> Age when introduced: 53  
> Role: Recreation Facility Administrator


	22. Episode 3.7 - Breakfast Serial: Ivonovic's Defense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Burton helps arrange defense counsel for Governor Emory Ivonovic - and accidentally lets slip an important clue.
> 
>  
> 
> _Nearly every humanoid species in the Alpha Quadrant, with the possible exceptions of the denobulans and, unexpectedly, the klingons, had recently seen a resurgence in reactionary racial naturalborn movements and interspecies violence was on the rise throughout the Federation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The detail Admiral Burton lets slip ends up driving the plot in Episode 10.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 7 - Ivonovic's Defense

3.7  
Ivonovic’s Defense

        Rear Admiral Samantha Burton was not wild over keeping a planetary governor in her brig at Starbase Eleven. The Hunter had beamed him over while in transit to Ocean - the planet around which SB11 orbited. Even though Emory Ivonovic had well known ties to some of the most violent radical movements in the sector, since he had been elected - even if fraudulently - holding him felt uncomfortably to the admiral as though she were holding a political prisoner.  
       True - his political statements and policies were considered very dangerous precedents to be setting on any federation world, much less one of the original charter worlds and one of Earth’s oldest colonies. But that only increased the danger that imprisoning him could render him a martyr for the reactionary elements who virulently supported him. It had been nearly three hundred years since an open human purist had gained so much political power. Even if the election had been fraudulent, it was clear there was a vast naturalborn movement not only on the Colony of New Hope, but gaining membership and acceptance throughout the Federation.   
      And it wasn’t limited to humanity. The vulcan naturalborn movement was probably the most dangerous - for nearly a hundred years they had been trying to pry Vulcan and all vulcan colonies away from the Federation and into an alliance with the Romulan Empire. Nearly every humanoid species in the Alpha Quadrant, with the possible exceptions of the denobulans and, unexpectedly, the klingons, had recently seen a resurgence in reactionary racial naturalborn movements and interspecies violence was on the rise throughout the Federation.

       Burton had the unenviable task of arranging for Ivonvic’s legal defense. She took a small detail of custody specialists with her to interview the incarcerated governor. Ivonovic had been brought from his cell to a small conference room. A handsome and well-groomed older man, Ivonovic sat in a simple chair at a small, plastic table as though it were the office chair behind his desk in the Planetary Administration Building on the Colony of New Hope. He had clearly used the time in the brig to groom himself carefully and pull his thoughts together. 

       “Governor Ivonovic,” Burton began.  
       “Admiral Burton,” the governor responded evenly. He was carefully controlling his emotions and paying attention to every detail for a clue how to turn this interview to his advantage. Being graceful under pressure was a critical skill for any politician and Ivonovic had had sufficient time in the brig to smooth his anger and develop a strategy.  
      “I am charged with organizing your legal defense,” Burton said. “I am not here to interview you on the crime for which you have been indicted or any other crimes of which you are accused or that you may have committed. I have recommended the law firm of Sorek, Brack and Evens, but you may have another preference. Sorek is considered one of the most successful defense attorneys in the Federation. I don’t know him personally, but I have met him on occasion and have seen him argue a few cases within Star Fleet. He is very persuasive.”  
      “I doubt there is a better lawyer in the Federation,” Ivonovic started.  
       Burton continued, “I spoke to him this morning. He has been expecting to be called in on this case ever since he became aware of the pending indictment. He has agreed to take your case.”  
       Ivonovic smiled. “I greatly appreciate your efforts, Admiral, but I would prefer to be represented by a human, not a vulcan. I would prefer to use my personal attorneys - the Trevor Trust on New Hope Colony.”  
      Burton was not surprised. The governor was making a tremendous mistake. His own law firm consisted largely of relatives and various yes-men. He could have had one of the greatest orators and legal strategists of the age. He was choosing a small firm of apparatchiks instead.  
       “That is your choice, Governor. You will not be allowed to communicate with them via subspace radio, but I will pass along your request to them. They should send a representative here to coordinate with you directly and accompany you to Earth.”  
      Ivonovic smiled. “Tell them I want Joanna and ask her to bring my gray suit.”

3.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Rear Admiral Samantha Burton (Samantha)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Atlanta, Georgia, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 3.7  
> Age when introduced: 59  
> Role: Station Commander, Starbase Eleven


	23. Episode 3.8 - Breakfast Serial: Sarekson Carrera Commanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Director of Engineering, Dr. Sarekson Carrera, takes the U.S.S. Hunter to Starbase 11 for maintenance - and foils an attempted jailbreak.
> 
> _These design elements gave the Hunter a uniquely compact and menacing look compared to the more flowing and aesthetically pleasing traditional Star Fleet design. Hunter wasn’t designed to be pretty - it was all business and its business was law enforcement._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 8 - Sarekson Carrera Commanding

3.8  
Sarekson Carrera Commanding 

      Dr. Sarekson Carrera, director of the Hunter’s engineering department, sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge of the Hunter with Ensign Ethan Phillips at the helm and Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs at the weapons and communications console behind the captain’s chair. Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth was piloting the tactical unit. The two interceptors and the uparmored shuttlecraft referred to as “the wagon” that were usually housed within the Hunter would remain on the beach. But it was time for the Hunter itself to go into space-dock for checkup, repairs, retrofits and upgrades.  
      The liftoffs went smoothly and the tactical unit reconnected to the platform shortly after leaving the atmosphere.

The Hunter (officially a Patrol class vessel) did not look like any other Star Fleet design. The platform was powered by a single, large nacelle connected to the underside of the saucer section by a thick pylon, which housed the main engineering section. Unlike the traditional roughly cylindrical design, the Hunter’s nacelle was wide and flat, forming a broad foot on which the vessel perched when landing. The saucer section was ovular, and instead of projected forward, was nested and centered over the nacelle. The upper decks were swept back and nested into each other. This design made the ship extremely compact - only a meter taller than the Escort class, shorter along the beam and much narrower, which caused the interior to be cramped and crowded. The smallest, fastest and most nimble of the fleet, the Patrol class was designed for speed and stealth, not comfort.  
      The exterior of the ship was covered with a dark material instead of the bright metallic white associated with most Star Fleet vessels. By treaty, Star Fleet had refrained from developing cloaking technology.  
       But the Hunter was designed using a more conventional type of camouflage. When the QuickQuiet order was given, power could be reduced to the point that it would barely register even on the most sensitive scanners and the dark color and flowing shape of the hull - as well as the outer layers of materials - were designed to scatter active scans and be nearly invisible to passive scans. This gave the Hunter the ability to lie in wait along shipping lanes and catch pirates at unawares. It also made the Hunter a hard target for anyone trying to beam aboard without a tracking channel from within and a hard target for attempts to upload malicious software.   
These design elements gave the Hunter a uniquely compact and menacing look compared to the more flowing and aesthetically pleasing traditional Star Fleet design. Hunter wasn’t designed to be pretty - it was all business and its business was law enforcement.

       Moments after the two parts of the Hunter had rejoined, Dr. Carrera received a voice message from Star Base 11. “Be advised, unauthorized activity in the eastern LaGrange point.”  
       Carrera responded immediately. “Shields up. Yellow alert. Mr. Guth, remain on the tactical unit. Star Base Eleven,” the Hunter’s communication system immediately opened a channel.  
      “Hunter, this is Star Base Eleven, Lieutenant Casper Yates on watch, go ahead.”  
       “This is Sarekson Carrera, commanding. We received your message about unauthorized activity in the eastern LaGrange point and are diverting to investigate.”  
      “Hunter, be advised, that message did not come from this watch station,” Lt. Yates responded.  
     Dr. Carrera’s reaction was immediate. “Lieutenant Yates, Mr. Hobbs, please initiate full communication encryption. Mr. Hobbs, Red Alert, activate all weapon systems and load torpedo tubes. Mr. Phillips, bring us about to face the eastern LaGrange point. Lieutenant Yates, I recommend you put the base and all ships in this system on red alert. We have someone attempting to divert us to the eastern LaGrange point. Do you have any assets located there?”  
      “We have orbital stabilizers located in each LaGrange point, but no other assets,” Yates responded.  
      Carrera asked, “Can you fly us some support out here?”  
      “Admiral Burton is unavailable, I have already called for…” The lieutenant on the screen abruptly stood up and a lieutenant commander took his place.   
      “This is Lieutenant Commander Holly Nash, standby Hunter.”

       Within less than a minute, twenty interceptors launched from SB11, along with two shuttlecraft. A moment later, one of the space docks opened and the U.S.S. Pierre, a heavily armed escort class vessel, somewhat larger than the Hunter, emerged.

      The watch duty officer, Lt. Cmdr. Nash, returned to the screen. “Hunter, be advised the Pierre, under Captain Nichols will investigate. Maintain position, protect Ocean, and await further instructions. I am assigning two interceptors to assist you. You may keep your birds on the ground but I recommend you staff them. Star Base Eleven out.”  
      Before Dr. Carrera could put in a call to the planet, a small vessel emerged from the space dust and rocks collected in SB11’s eastern LaGrange point and moved at high speed away from the system. Interceptors were not capable of sustained warp travel, but could make limited warp jumps. Six interceptors jumped and surrounded the shuttle, lacing it with low-power phaser fire and disabling its warp engines before the shuttle could go to warp.  
       A moment later the Pierre had the intruding vessel in a tractor beam and was towing it, leaking drive plasma, back to SB11.  
         “Reduce alert status to yellow,” Carrera ordered, and then waited and watched as the interceptors swept the system, making detailed investigations at both of SB11’s LaGrange points, then spiraling outward to sweep the planet’s LaGrange points, making a wide loop around the planetary system.  
      “SB11 is hailing us, sir,” said Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs.  
       “Put them through, Mr. Hobbs,” Carrera said.  
      This time it was Rear Admiral Samantha Burton at the watch station. “Well done, Dr. Carrera. It appears you may have foiled a jail-break attempt. My people have swept the system, but we’ll keep a watchful eye for any other intruders. I am cancelling red alert and returning Star Base Eleven to normal operations. You may dock in E Bay when ready. The Pierre’s retrofits have been completed, so they will remain on patrol in the system for now. Burton out.”

3.8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character:                      Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs (Tommy)  
> Human Ethnicity:           Scottish  
> Additional Species:        Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Trantor, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode       3.8  
> Age when introduced:    56  
> Role:                               Flight Engineer, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character:                      2nd Lieutenant Casper Yates (Casper)  
> Human Ethnicity:           Welsh  
> Additional Species:        N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cardiff, Wales, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode       3.8  
> Age when introduced:    22  
> Role:                               Watch Officer, Starbase Eleven
> 
> Character:                     Lieutenant Commander Holly Nash (Holly)  
> Human Ethnicity:           Welsh  
> Additional Species:        N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Trantor, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode       3.8  
> Age when introduced:    27  
> Role:                               Director of Flight Operations, Starbase Eleven


	24. Episode 3.9 - Breakfast Serial: Surf Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ensign T'Lon uses telepathy and philosophy teach Dr. Kenny Dolphin how to surf. 
> 
> The investigation into the serial killings produces results - and they do not reflect well on Dr. Dolphin...
> 
> _“Not killers,” Dolphin said. “Assassins.”_   
>  _“What’s the difference?” Tauk asked._   
>  _Shran let his fist fall to the table with a thump. “Motive.”_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 9 - Surf Lesson

3.9  
Surf Lesson 

       Lt. T’Lok Smith briefed Justice Irons about Tauk’s investigations in the early hours before dawn, then went off to find Lt. Dolphin. She didn’t have to look for him. She was in constant light telepathic contact with her childhood friend, Ensign T’Lon. They often walked with their arms linked. Most people thought this was just another of T’Lok’s girlish fancies that T’Lon put up with. But T’Lon was a powerful telepath and the physical contact allowed the two to communicate with tremendous speed and depth, pairing T’Lok’s considerable social skills with T’Lon’s keen telepathic observations. It was a tremendous advantage to both of them.  
      T’Lok knew that Dolphin was with T’Lon, which made him easy to find. 

       Ensign T’Lon awoke with Lt. Dolphin’s arm draped around her. At some point in the night she had gotten cold and pushed up against him for warmth. He was awakening as well. He lifted his arm as she moved to get up, respecting her wish for silence as she walked away, allowing the telepathic contact to fade as gently as it had begun hours earlier. Dolphin had an unusually disciplined mind for a human and she had enjoyed his stillness.  
      T’Lok touched T’Lon’s arm as they passed, and with that touch they exchanged what would have been an hour of communication between other people.  
       Dolphin had rolled onto his back and laced his fingers behind his head. T’Lok could sense he had decided to relax a bit instead of launching into his usual morning calisthenics. She could barely feel his mind only because of T’Lon’s night-long mental contact with him - leaving a sort of telepathic silhouette from which T’Lok could discern the outlines of those features of his personality that T’Lon had gently explored.  
      T’Lok felt a moment’s pity for Dolphin - he was trying to recapture some wonderful sense of peace he had felt last night. She had other plans for him. She had initially come to summon him to the investigations room, but T’Lon had given her a better idea.  
       Dolphin was looking up at the early morning sky when T’Lok’s face suddenly appeared upside down just above his. He caught his breath - startled that he hadn’t noticed her stepping up to him and kneeling on the sand just above his head. “Did you have a wonderful night, Director?” she asked with a smile.  
      Dolphin relaxed back into the sand. “Maybe it’s something about this place. Maybe it’s something about being humiliated on a surfboard,” he responded with a smile.  
       “And maybe it’s something about T’Lon…” T’Lok suggested.  
       Dolphin closed his eyes and chuckled lightly, “Naw - couldn’t be that.”  
      “Well, she wants you to get your lazy butt up and join her on the north shore,” T’Lok said lightly. “She’s going to get you up on that surfboard or whack you in the head with it if you won’t learn.”  
      “I’m afraid she’s set herself an insurmountable task - well - at least the teaching part, not the whacking part. I’m pretty much hopeless on the waves,” Dolphin observed wryly.  
       “T’Lon’s doctorate is in Physical Education. She even taught Pep how to surf. We had to cut down a door to build a surfboard for him, but she got him up on it. You aren’t too tall to do this - or too old.” T’Lok pressed her hand on Dolphin’s chest and then quickly sprang to her feet. “Come on.. up! We are not taking ‘no’ for an answer..”  
      Dolphin got to his feet, making some pretense at being arthritic - slightly rueful that it was more true than he preferred to admit. T’Lok put her hand on his shoulder, turned him toward the north shore, pointed toward T’Lon, who was selecting a pair of surfboards. “Off with you now - I have other things to do!” Dolphin took a few steps, dragging his feet, then picked up to a jog.  
      T’Lok smiled. She deeply enjoyed eliciting playfulness in other people’s behavior. She had been pleasantly surprised to find it in Dr. Dolphin - despite his reputation for prejudice against hybrids. Polite society across the Federation considered this man to be a monster - the man who broke the Federation. At Justice Irons’ recommendation, T’Lok had actually read Kenny Dolphin’s infamous doctoral dissertation on the morality of hybridizing sentient species. And understood it. She mused that he was the one more often prejudged.

       Ensign T’Lon waited at the water’s edge. When Lt. Dolphin arrived, she handed him the board she had selected for him and began preparing hers. He did the same, imitating her behaviors. Once the boards were ready, T’Lon initiated a mind-meld - something Dolphin had never experienced. It was nothing like he had expected. She was transferring a decade of experience and knowledge directly from her muscles to his - from her sense of balance to his. He could almost feel the waves under her feet again and again. His muscles weren’t conditioned by this experience, but they now contained something of the memory of how to do this. Shaping them to actually deliver the fine level of control T’Lon was capable of would take years of exercise and experience.    
       T’Lon let the mind-meld fade gently, but maintained telepathic contact as she removed her fingers from his temples. A contact made far stronger by her recent presence in his mind. They paddled out onto the waves and he could sense her instructing him to let his muscles become her muscles - to do without thinking.

       And he failed miserably. But on these larger waves - currently cresting about 25’ - it took more strength to pull himself back to the surface. And he failed miserably again. And again..

        T’Lon brought her board next to his and put her hand on his back. The telepathic connection was incredibly powerful, but she was speaking as well. “You are thinking. As long as you are thinking like you live inside your head, you cannot be part of the wave.” She rapped him on the forehead with her fingertips. “You do not exist in there. That is not where you are.” The words echoed powerfully in his mind - overwhelming him with waves of telepathy - mingling in his mind with hypnotic power. She spread her arms into the sky behind her. “Here you are behind me.” Her hands plunged into the water. “Here you are beneath me.”  
      Without thinking, responding to her unspoken request, Dolphin plunged his hands into the water as she said, “There I am beneath you.” She put her hand on his chest and brought his hand to hers with a thought. “Here is where the wave is. Feel it coming.” She turned, laid back down on her board and paddled away. He followed, not looking at the wave - there was no need to look at it. He and T’Lon were not separate from the wave - they were just a part of it. The part of the wave that was cutting through it. It thundered through him as they rode through it in tandem - there was no thinking - T’Lon’s powerful mind prevented thought. Just as she was indistinct from the air they breathed and the water they were riding on, he was indistinct from her.  
       Gradually, Kenny Dolphin became aware of the wave screaming exultantly - ripping through his body - hurting his throat - vibrating in his chest. It was only at the moment they came off the wave that he realized that he was the one screaming at the top of his lungs - laughing, crying, completely overwhelmed with exultation. He could feel T’Lon smiling slightly as she gradually released his mind.  
      A few people had gathered on the beach to watch, the enormous David Pepper making the others look like children by comparison. Kenny Dolphin could not stop screaming, his voice hoarse, laughing, he had never felt anything like this - this had to be why these people loved surfing so much.  
      “Go on,” T’Lon said as he paused to take a ragged breath. “You’re not going to be able to get back on these waves again in your current state. But you will remember this feeling tomorrow. Start with the smaller waves and work your way up.”  
       He wanted to thank her but there was too much going on in his mind for words. There was no way to communicate through the log jam of words. He turned and offered his hand. She took it as soon as it was offered and a rush of gratitude and emotions flowed from him. T’Lon released his hand quickly and almost smiled again. “Too much. Way too much. Wait until you can sort it out and we’ll talk again.” She turned and paddled back out to the waves. 

      Dolphin watched her for a moment, then turned and paddled back toward the shore. He found himself shouting exultantly again as he waded onto the shore. David Pepper was laughing. He placed his enormous hand on Kenny’s chest - covering most of it. “I remember what it felt like - that first time - with her in my mind. She is the best instructor there is. As much philosophy as athletics”  
      “I can’t,” Dolphin started, then tried again, “too many words. It’s just - Wooohooo!” he shouted exultantly again, then sagged against his board.  
        “Lieutenant Dolphin - good first ride - a fifteen meter wave,” came a voice inside Dolphin’s chest. It was Justice Irons, coming through the communicator embedded in his chest. Dolphin had not gotten used to this device - it was not in general use by Star Fleet - only by some special forces units. Justice Irons had insisted on using it for her entire crew.  
      “Come to the investigations office, Mr. Dolphin. I’m afraid I’m about to spoil the rest of your day..” Dolphin looked and could see Justice Irons standing on the balcony. He patted Pep on the chest. “Got to run,” he said and took off toward the main building at a jog, stopping only briefly to put up his board.   
       It wasn’t until he reached the resort that Dolphin thought it might be a good idea for him to get a shower and exchange his swim trunks for a uniform. Fortunately, someone else had thought about that too and an appropriate uniform was waiting for him. 

       Justice Irons, T’Lok, Tauk and Investigator Shran were waiting for him in the investigations room. Tauk gave a full briefing and brought everyone up to speed.  
       Irons was the first to comment. “Great work Tauk.” Irons turned toward her director of flight operations. “Dr. Dolphin, I wanted you to hear this from me first. Look at the date stamp of the incident in the initial group listed as incident #1.”  
       Dolphin had been paying attention throughout the briefing, but his blood was still singing from riding a 50’ wave. He looked at the date stamp, then looked at it again, and felt all the exultation draining out of him. “Six months to the day after my dissertation was republished by the Harvard press.” Dolphin let out a slow sigh and rolled his head to release tension in his neck. “Another of my intellectual step-children,” he continued grimly.  
       Tauk spoke up. “It isn’t like that, sir. You didn’t make anyone do these awful things. And I’ve done the math - and I’m not the only one. You’re right by the numbers.”  
      Justice Irons interrupted. “Be that as it may, this is no longer just philosophy. We have a killer to catch. Tauk, I want you to sit on the initial set and focus on the Challenger. They have been under quarantine for nearly three full days now. I am also concerned that our current killer might use news of the initial set of killings to sow confusion. Enough confusion to cover an escape.”  
       Tauk looked at his captain, perplexed. “You don’t want to notify Star Fleet about them?”  
      “Not just yet,” Irons responded. “Leave that to me. It is to our advantage to not tip our hand. I will notify the top of the chain - they need to keep that investigation top secret. To that end, I want you to curtail your inquiries into it. Let’s leave killer #1 up to Star Fleet Intelligence and focus on killer #2.”  
      Dolphin looked up from his dark thoughts, “Killer… No, we’re not dealing with killers.”  
      Everyone looked at him blankly. Lynhart Shran’s antennae twitched and went up. T’Lok opened her mouth. She couldn’t read Kenny’s mind, but she could tell he was convinced he was on to something. Irons winked at her.

      “Not killers,” Dolphin said. “Assassins.”

       “What’s the difference?” Tauk asked.  
       Shran let his fist fall to the table with a thump. “Motive.”  
      “Right,” Dolphin continued. “When it was just one, we could posit a sociopath. But two, using the same signature and the first one secret for all this time… #2 is not a copycat. They’re not doing this for political reasons or because they have something against trills in particular. They’re getting paid or they’re getting extorted.”  
       “And just where did you get your investigative chops, Director?” T’Lok asked lightly.  
             Shran spoke up. “You didn’t know that Mr. Dolphin’s first career was with the District Attorney’s office in New York?”

       Everyone looked at Shran.

      “Tiny universe,” he continued with his gravelly voice. “I was a detective for the New York City police department for six years. I worked for Lieutenant Dolphin… Lieutenant Linda Dolphin - this fellow’s ex-wife.” Shran turned toward Dolphin. “She said you were the worst assistant district attorney in the history of the office. Low conviction rate. Too damn interested in the truth,” Shran concluded.  
       “They fired me,” Dolphin said. “So I went back to school and got my Ph.D. in philosophy.”  
       “And wrote yourself into the history books,” Shran continued, “They should have left well enough alone and put up with your conviction rate.”  
      “No,” Dolphin replied, “I was miserable in the job. I was about to quit anyway. Anyway - there is a political motive to these killings. But it isn’t the killers - it’s the person, or persons, paying them or extorting them.”   
       “Which means you can throw out a bundle of assumptions about these killers,” Shran concluded. “Like the idea they have to be trills, or psychopaths - they might be, but they don’t have to be.”  
       “And the breakfast signature…” T’Lok followed. “A way to communicate to their employer? To let them know who did the deed so they get paid, or rewarded, or the threat held at bay?”  
      “So how does all this help us with killer #2?” Tauk asked.  
       “Killer #2 has to be a powerful telepath,” Irons concluded. “Either a vulcan or a betazoid of unusual ability. A vulcan could use a series of mind-melds to implant instructions - but it would have to be someone with far greater ability than I have ever encountered. And they’re attacking the human partner. Humans have far greater resistance to telepathy than trills. Even T’Lon wouldn’t be able to make a human murder their spouse. Or commit suicide. Unless they already wanted to.”   
       Irons continued, “A betazoid of sufficient power and training could manipulate someone’s mind from long distance in real time - they could be in a cloaked ship or even posted on a nearby planet or asteroid. But the same problem applies. It would take someone of far greater ability than I have ever encountered.” 

       Dolphin took a sudden breath - hissing between his teeth. “Your honor, we’re not looking for a vulcan. Or a betazoid… We’re looking for a hybrid.”  
      Tauk picked up on the thought. “A genetically enhanced hybrid - vulcan and betazoid - with all of the telepathic abilities of both species genetically enhanced - the dials turned up as far as they can go. It would take all of those things - multiple mind melds, contact from a distance. Behaviors implanted and then triggered. The victim tries to fight against the implanted behaviors, but there is the telepath, working from afar. Let’s say they’re on Deep Space 9 or Bajor - right in the middle of this pattern. Able to reach to both ends,” the little ferengi continued, “Your honor, I think the Challenger can come out of quarantine. Our killer is not on board. And now we have someone to look for - and a place to start looking.”

3.9


	25. Episode 3.10 - Breakfast Serial: Life is a Beach...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dramatic conclusion of Episode 3...
> 
> _Their chanting was very high-pitched and sounded somewhat like Gregorian chants being hummed at a very high speed by a swarm of angry bees. It was an astoundingly irritating sound, but, like most binar communications, mercifully brief - the entire religious ceremony lasting no more than eight seconds._
> 
> _Buttons ran toward Justice Irons, sprinting across the sand at a speed that would give a gazelle an inferiority complex._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 3 - Breakfast Serial  
Scene 10 - Life is a Beach...

3.10  
Life is a Beach...

      “Thank you for helping out, Chief. You may go back to Ocean if you wish.” The communications system carried Dr. Carrera’s voice from the main bridge to the even more cramped bridge of the tactical unit. Guth was reclined in the pilot’s seat - nothing to do now that the tactical unit was attached to the platform and the re-combined Hunter docked inside Star Base Eleven.  
       “Oh I definitely wish, but I’m glad to help, sir,” Dewayne Guth replied. He made his way from the tactical unit to one of the ports and onto SB11. Before heading to a transporter room, he took the opportunity to get a shower and a shave. Guth shaved his head in part to show his spots. He was defiantly proud of his trill heritage even though the spots barely showed up on his dark skin - a legacy of his African American heritage. Most trills were light skinned - those with ancestry from sunnier climes simply had more spots and some were entirely spotted. This was Guth’s mother’s heritage and his spots also covered his entire body.  
       Within moments of a much needed grooming, Chief Guth was able to find a transporter room and was soon returned to the beam-in booth at the resort on Ocean. Just in time for breakfast.   
       The Irons family was accustomed to welcoming the Hunter’s crew and had chosen to wait until the morning of their third day on planet. This allowed the crew to work out a lot of their excitement and hit the waves so they wouldn’t be restless. While the ceremony was designed by vulcans, it was designed with Star Fleet crews in mind.

      Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth walked out onto the beach in the pre-dawn hour awash in the sound of a collection of well-tuned vulcans chanting solemnly by torch light. He smiled to himself and remembered when Commander Pepper had treated him and a few other friends to one of the giant first officer’s favorite collections of klingon chants - celebrating the defining moment in klingon mythology - the day the klingons had killed their gods for being petty and troublesome. Which made klingons the most eminently sensible people Guth had ever heard of. Then there were the symbiote birthday celebrations his mother had taken him to, replete with trills chanting stentoriously. And a bajoran religious festival he had witnessed while on Deep Space 9 - complete with chanting bajorans.   
       “The whole universe is Roman Catholic,” Guth mused to himself. He had heard nearly a dozen different species chanting - for various ceremonial reasons - always in languages that sounded suspiciously like Latin. Even the tiny binars, who communicated in a computer language at tremendous speed that could only be maintained because of the computer implants in their heads, had their own ceremonial chants. Their chanting was very high-pitched and sounded somewhat like Gregorian chants being hummed at a very high speed by a swarm of angry bees. It was an astoundingly irritating sound, but, like most binar communications, mercifully brief - the entire religious ceremony lasting no more than eight seconds. 

       Chief Guth picked up a glass and sniffed its contents. Whatever it was, it smelled fruity, delicious and extremely alcoholic. The alcohol content must have been enough to loosen a vulcan’s tongue - Guth was getting a contact high just from sniffing it. There weren’t that many people present - maybe forty. The chanting came to an end at the very moment of sunrise and in the growing light, Tamar Irons, Justice Irons’ oldest daughter and Ocean’s planetary administrator, raised her glass.  
      “My family has farmed these islands for nearly four hundred years. Like my ancestors, I have welcomed many, many Star Fleet crews to this beach and this resort. Since the vulcan space command was merged with Star Fleet nearly three hundred years ago, only Star Fleet crews have been allowed to visit this place. But you are not just any crew. You are my mother’s crew and many of you have become great friends. We consider you family and I will say to you what I have never said to any other Star Fleet crew: When your service with Star Fleet is over, you may return to this place and we will find homes for you. Or build them. So again I welcome you, not as the crew of a visiting Star Fleet vessel, but as family. Welcome Home!”  
       Vulcan speeches rarely elicited cheers, but this one elicited serious cheering, cut short only by the desire of the crew to consume the sparkling, fruity and evidently quite powerful beverages they had been supplied with. Guth drained his glass and headed toward the breakfast table. A great buffet had been spread out, offering foods grown on these islands along with some enormous fish that had been smoked for days. 

      “Welcome back, Chief,” Lt. Dolphin said, on spotting his senior pilot strolling toward the buffet table. Dolphin started to raise his glass, but suddenly looked down at his hand - something was wrong. He wasn’t holding a glass - he was holding a phaser. He had no idea where it came from. Dolphin suddenly found himself at war with his own right hand. He opened his mouth to scream for help, but no sound emerged.  
       But his scream did not go unheard. Ensign T’Lon dropped her glass, dodged around a few people, leapt over a table and landed in the sand behind Dolphin. Her hands went to his temples - she was already in telepathic contact with him.  
      Dewayne Guth was frozen where he stood - not with fear. He was a pilot and was trained to evade phaser fire. Something kept him rooted, screaming silently with terror, unable to move or to make a sound. Lt. T’Lok Smith tackled him at tremendous speed, slamming the pilot to the ground and landing on top of him.  
       As soon as Guth was no longer available as a target, Dolphin, assisted by T’Lon, finally managed to drop the phaser. He was finally able to scream - he fell to his knees, letting out a short, ragged howl of anguish. Behind him, T’Lon, her fingers still on his temples, had also fallen to her knees, gasping with effort.  
      Lt. Cmdr. Mlady, who had been largely absent from the beach, raced toward them at lightning speed and retrieved the phaser from the ground, then stepped back, a strange look of frustration on her face.  
       Aware that the danger was over, T’Lok helped Guth to his feet, then hugged him. Guth was badly shaken and hugged back, still shuddering as the adrenaline that had flooded his system started to go sour.   
       Dolphin lost consciousness and collapsed back into T’Lon’s arms, his head lolling on her shoulder, eyes wide open, staring at the sky, seeing nothing. T’Lon kept one hand on his face, maintaining telepathic contact, a grimace of pain on her face. Another vulcan knelt in front of them, placing one hand on Dolphin’s face and one hand on T’Lon’s face, helping to stabilize them with her own mind. T’Lon’s expression of pain relaxed and she allowed the other vulcan to support her and the unconscious Lt. Dolphin. 

       Investigator Buttons drained his glass slowly - any attempt to drink it too quickly would have made him choke. His partner and mentor, Investigator Shran stood next to him, his arm around the shoulders of his latest girlfriend, Belo Cantys. Buttons had no idea why the old man was so popular with the ladies. In the four years Buttons had worked with Shran he had seen the old man in many relationships - all of which ended either quickly or badly - sometimes both. But this time seemed different. Not so much because of Shran as because of Cantys. Shran had saved her life more than once and she clearly had no intention of letting him slip away at this point. Buttons was rather impressed.  
      His chain of thought was interrupted by a commotion near the buffet table. He saw Ensign T’Lon leaping over a table, but it still took a few moments for him to put together what was happening. Shran figured it out first. Cantys leapt forward to help her commanding officer, but Shran caught her by the shoulder, delaying her. She turned and gave him an aggressive look.  
       “Kid,” Shran said, “Don’t let anyone break that mind-meld. Stop anyone who tries - you got that?”  
       Cantys boggled at him, then turned and raced off, clambering around or over anyone who got in her way.  
      “Kid,” Shran said. Buttons could tell by the old man’s tone of voice that he was now the one being addressed. “Go get the judge. I need to talk to her. Fast!”  
      Buttons had come to trust Shran’s instincts. The old man had served as a sniper for the Andorian Imperial Guard for more than thirty years - his instincts had been honed on the battlefields of a dozen worlds. Buttons ran toward Justice Irons, sprinting across the sand at a speed that would give a gazelle an inferiority complex. 

      “Your honor,” Buttons said as he got close. It was enough to make Irons stop and turn. Shran caught up a few seconds later.  
       “Boss,” he managed, his voice ragged with the effort of running at full tilt only a few dozen yards. Shran stopped and bent over, catching his breath. “Boss,” he managed again, wheezing.  
      Justice Irons stepped up to Shran and put her hand on his back. “Investigator…” she said.  
       “It’s Dolphin. And Tauk. You have to get them to Earth. All of us, you have to get all of us to Earth,” Shran’s voice was far more gravelly than usual. He stopped to cough and wheeze.  
       Irons had not spent much time with the Investigator, but he was widely liked and even more widely respected. Her youngest daughter by Mavar was standing next to her. “China,” Irons said, “Go check on Tamar and T’Lon.”  
       “Don’t let anyone break that mind-meld,” Shran managed.  
       “And don’t let anyone break that mind-meld,” Justice Irons repeated, placing her hand briefly on her daughter’s chest.  
       Irons smiled at the old investigator who was still catching his breath. “Conference mode, Shran, Buttons, Pepper, Gamor. Lieutenant Carrera…” The communicator embedded in her chest linked with the people she named.  
       “Lieutenant Carrera,” she repeated. “How long before the Hunter can be ready to break orbit for Earth?”  
      “Give me a moment, your Honor,” Carrera responded, then went silent for a moment. About a minute later, he responded again: “About two hours, probably less. But we will have to complete upgrades when we get to Earth. Some of the work can be done along the way.”  
       “Make it ready, Lieutenant,” Irons said, “End conference mode.” She turned toward Shran, who had finally caught his breath, more or less. “Okay Investigator, what is this about, why do we have to go to Earth?”  
       Shran’s unusually large antennae were twitching. Buttons realized they had started twitching this way about the same time all the commotion had begun. “You can’t feel it, Boss?” Shran asked.  
      Irons lifted an eyebrow, “Let’s avoid pronouns for a moment, Mr. Shran. Feel what?”  
      “We’re being scanned,” the old man responded. “I guess you don’t have much telepathic ability. I’m only half andorian, I don’t have that much either. But we can tell when we’re being scanned and defend our minds against it. You need to summon whatever defenses you can. T’Lok too. For the moment we don’t have to worry about Dolphin - we do have to worry about Tauk. I don’t know how much resistance ferengi have to being scanned.”  
             Irons looked around, seeking someone, then said “Conference mode, Shae, Tauk, Shran, Smith. Hunter transporter room 1, who is on duty up there?”  
       “This is Ensign Sun, your Honor.”  
      “Locate Dr. Shae, Lieutenant Smith and Lieutenant Tauk and transport them to my location.”  
      “Aye, Captain,” Sun responded.  
      “What??” came Tauk’s voice over the link.  
      “End conference mode,” Irons said.

       A moment later Tauk, T’Lok and Dr. Tali Shae were each beamed in to join Justice Irons on the beach.  
      “I could have walked…” Dr. Tali Shae started, then noticed how serious Irons and Shran were looking.  
      “Tauk,” Irons said. “I hate to do this. We are going to sedate you. You will wake up on the Hunter.”  
       “What???” Tauk stammered again as Dr. Shae stepped up behind him, hypospray in hand, already dialing in the appropriate chemical. She placed the delivery end to Tauk’s neck and with a sharp hissing sound, it delivered a powerful sedative that caused the little ferengi to crumple into Dr. Shae’s arms. She lowered him gently to the sand.  
      “T’Lok, get your telepathic defenses up. Shran says we’re being scanned,” Irons said.  
             The young lieutenant’s eyes unfocused briefly, then she looked at Irons. “Yes. It’s a light scan, but I suspect she’ll start digging when she starts bouncing off our defenses.”  
       “She??” Irons and Shran said at the same moment.  
      “It’s a woman,” T’Lok said. “Definitely a female mind. Powerful. I don’t think she’s noticed yet that I’m blocking her.”

       Pep had joined the number of people around the fallen Kenneth Dolphin and T’Lon. “David,” came Irons’ voice from the communicator embedded in his chest.  
      “Go ahead Min.”  
      “You have 90 minutes to get everyone up to the Hunter. Have Lieutenant Gamor take Dolphin and T’Lon up in the wagon - using the transporter might interrupt their mind-meld. Make sure that doesn’t happen - both their lives depend on it,” Irons said.  
       “Aye, Captain,” Pep responded, then immediately set to ordering the crew’s evacuation from Ocean. He made certain to evacuate the breakfast buffet, complete with sparkling beverages and smoked fish, up to the Hunter as well.

3 - Breakfast Serial

Crew of the USS Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
Navigator Johanna Imex  
Navigator Eli Strahl  
Ensign Ethan Phillips  
Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. T'Lok Smith  
Assit. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. Tauk  
Investigator Lynhart Shran  
Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
Ensign T'Lon  
Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
Transporter Engineer K'rok  
Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
Flight Engineer Tomos  
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Tamar Irons (Tamar)  
> Human Ethnicity: Chinese  
> Additional Species: Vulcan, Betazoid, Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Main Island, Ocean  
> Introduced: Episode 3.10  
> Age when introduced: 114  
> Role: Planetary Administrator, Ocean
> 
> Character: China Irons (China)  
> Human Ethnicity: Chinese  
> Additional Species: Vulcan, Betazoid, Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Main Island, Ocean  
> Introduced: Episode 3.10  
> Age when introduced: 101  
> Role: Cultural Anthropologist


	26. Episode 4.1 - Run to Earth: The Crusher/Crumar/Carrera Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunter and its crew retreat from Ocean, fleeing the influence of the telepathic Breakfast Killer to seek protection and camouflage among the billions of minds on Earth.
> 
> _Irons smiled. “This image was recorded about 10 years ago. That boy was Professor Crumar’s top student and the lead designer of this vessel - Dr. Sarekson Carrera.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wesley Crusher is critical to the development of the U.S.S. Hunter's warp engine...
> 
> And he will make a big appearance in Episode 15 - A Stitch In Spacetime. Hint: How many Wesley Crushers does it take to keep Dr. Carrera from destroying the Alpha Quadrant?

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 1 - The Crusher/Crumar/Carrera Effect

4 - Run To Earth

 _“There exists an unprecedented cultural and emotional bond between humans and vulcans. Each seems somehow to exemplify the other’s most heartfelt aspirations…” Dr. Kenny Dolphin,_ _The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr, the Vulcan Mating Cycle_ _._

4.1  
The Crusher/Crumar/Carrera Effect

       Justice Irons was surprised at how quickly she had grown accustomed to speaking with Investigator Lynhart Shran. The old investigator sat in her office along with Lt. T’Lok Smith. Even though he wasn’t a member of Star Fleet (the two investigators were civilians contracted to Star Fleet), with Lt. Tauk and Ensign T’Lon unable to report for duty, Shran was now the senior member in Director Smith’s department. Their current flight from Ocean, where the crew had been scheduled for much needed shore leave, was entirely on Shran’s recommendation. Irons was surprised at how quickly and thoroughly the old investigator had gained her trust.

      “So why Earth, Mr. Shran?”  
      “We’re not going fast enough,” Shran replied. “I can tell - we’re only going warp five.”  
      Irons had no doubt he could tell. Experienced space travelers knew how warp five felt in the deckplates and what it looked like in the apparent movement of the stars that could be seen through the window behind her. “I can’t help that at the moment. I’mcertain you are aware of the Federation’s warp five limit to preserve the integrity of local spacetime.”  
      Shran’s expression was very direct: “Maybe it’s time to try out that Crusher/Crumar/Carrera effect your engineers are always whispering about.”  
       Irons’ expression was deadpan. Her voice was a bit frosty. “I am certain I do not know what you are talking about.”  
      Shran was genuinely insulted. “Oh come on boss, give an old gumshoe some credit. I don’t have any formal education, but I’ve spent the last 50 years figuring out stuff other people don’t want me to know. How useful would I be if you could keep a secret like that under my nose?”  
       T’Lok looked at Irons and raised an eyebrow - for once looking like a vulcan as much from her behavior as from her facial features.   
      Irons sighed, then allowed herself a slight chuckle. “Actually, Investigator, Dr. Carrera is making the final preparations to engage the so-called zip drive. This boat is the first one designed with that capability, but until now the only successful tests have been with drones. The engineers have only managed to run successful simulations at scale recently. Warp field improvements are notoriously difficult to scale, but the math involved in this project is ferocious. I have requested permission to engage the drive once it is ready. But that is no guarantee it will work. And very unpleasant things happen if it fails.” 

      Shran took a long, deep breath - let it out with a puff. “Two reasons,” he started. It took Irons a few heartbeats to realize the old investigator was addressing her original question. “First: distance. I have never known a betazoid not to have a distance limit to their ability. Assuming our killer is on Bajor, we need to get as far from there as fast as possible so she can’t track us. Second: clutter. Once we get to Earth, this crew needs to spread out. That way, if our telepath hops a transport and comes to Earth, she will have a hard time finding us. There were less than 6,000 people at Star Base Eleven and Ocean - we were easy to find. But Earth is the most populated region of space we know of - 14 billion on Earth itself and another 3-4 billion scattered throughout the Earth’s solar system in various star bases, colonies, ships coming and going, the Utopia Planitia shipyards… In all about 18 billion minds and probably the highest concentration of powerful telepaths as well - that’s a much bigger haystack to try to find us in.”  
      Irons mulled this information over. “Do you have a plan beyond that?” she asked.  
       “Yes,” Shran replied. “There’s a third reason to go to Earth - resources. I would prefer not to explain further until we get a little more space between us and our mind reader. I’m trying very hard not to think about it myself. Secrecy is everything.”

       T’Lok interjected, “Crusher/Crumar/Carrera?”

      Irons looked to her right and called for the Hunter’s interactive holographic avatar: “Hunter, display the design team for this vessel’s warp configuration and the zip drive.”  
      The boat’s holographic emitters projected an image of three people in white lab coats - two men and a boy smiling and waving. The image loop lasted two seconds and repeated, but was seamless so that it was impossible to tell at which point the image ended and restarted. The boy was dark-skinned with a bowl haircut and although clearly no more than 12 years old, seemed oddly familiar. The Hunter’s elderly, gray-bearded interactive avatar was clearly recognizable as one of the two men. The other man was much younger, a bit taller and wider with soulful brown eyes, long, unruly brown hair and a thick brown beard that covered much of his chest.  
      “You recognize Professor Jose Crumar of the Daystrom Institute, the man behind nearly every significant improvement in warp field engineering for the past half-century. Our boat’s avatar was patterned after him - right down to his quirky sense of humor. The other man is Wesley Crusher, who resigned his commission with Star Fleet and vanished with some alien known as the ‘Traveler.’ He simply appeared at the Daystrom Institute about 10 years ago with the basic theory for a warp drive system that would not only not degrade the fabric of spacetime, but would actually repair the damage done by centuries of warp travel. He vanished again about 5 months later. But by then Dr. Crumar and his top student had most of the math worked out.”  
       T’Lok Smith and Lynhart Shran were riveted by the image. “And the boy?” T’Lok asked.  
      Irons smiled. “This image was recorded about 10 years ago. That boy was Professor Crumar’s top student and the lead designer of this vessel - Dr. Sarekson Carrera.”

4.1


	27. Episode 4.2 - Run to Earth: Dolphin and T'Lon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justice Irons' daughter, China Irons, takes up residence on the wagon to take care of Lt. Dolphin and Ensign T'Lon.
> 
>  
> 
> _“T’Lon is maintaining Lieutenant Dolphin’s autonomic functions,” China said. “His brain is producing the messages to keep his heart working but they’re being actively blocked..."_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 2 - Dolphin & T'Lon

4.2  
Dolphin & T’Lon

     In order to maintain the physical contact needed for the mind-meld between Ensign T’Lon and Lt. Dolphin, Dr. Tali Shae had constructed a sort of sling. This made it extremely difficult to move the two and they could not be transported. Rather than wrangle the two unconscious officers down several decks into the medical bay, Dr. Shae had transformed the rear section of the wagon into an ersatz medical bay and installed holographic emitters. This allowed her to transfer the Tactical Medical Hologram, who responded to either the acronym TMH or the name Dr. Kim, the name of the doctor she had been modeled after.   
       The TMH was a reserve program designed to provide emergency medical treatment on the tactical unit. Unlike the Hunter’s interactive holographic avatar, who had extensive personality programming, the TMH was more or less a medically expert automaton. But with Dolphin in a coma and T’Lon wandering in and out of consciousness, medical monitoring and emergency response were all that would be needed until one of the medical staff could respond.

      Justice Irons’ half-vulcan daughter, China, who was returning to Earth aboard the Hunter, had also moved in to the wagon. With T’Lon semi-conscious, China Irons was now the most powerful telepath onboard - even more than Flight Engineer Tomos, who was entirely vulcan.  
       Dr. Shae watched China Irons tending to T’Lon. “So I barely understand telepathy - either vulcan or betazoid. I mean, I understand the genetic markers that enable it, but I have no idea how it actually works. Warp field theory is easier.”  
       China didn’t smile or register much of any emotion, but she seemed warmer than most vulcans and that warmth was reflected in her voice. “Warp field theory is much, much easier, Dr. Shae.”  
      “Tali, please,” the andorian doctor responded. “Call me Tali. We are family.” She couldn’t be certain, but it seemed that China’s expression warmed just a little.  
       “T’Lon is maintaining Lieutenant Dolphin’s autonomic functions,” China said. “His brain is producing the messages to keep his heart working but they’re being actively blocked. T’Lon is going around the block. But it is exhausting her. I’ve been able to help so that she can rest, but she isn’t getting good rest.”  
      “Is she in danger?” Dr. Shae asked.  
       “It isn’t good for her,” China said. “But she’s only 25, really just a child for a vulcan. And she’s in peak physical condition and mentally tough. She could probably do this for a month, but we need to keep her nourished.”  
      Dr. Shae’s antennae twitched in surprise. “A month?”  
      China raised an eyebrow. “She could, but Lieutenant Dolphin couldn’t. If we can’t get him stabilized in the next few days, his brain will start to lose the ability to transmit the necessary signals to keep him alive and I don’t know of any medical procedure yet that could restore that function once it atrophies.”  
      “And he’s being actively blocked?” Dr. Shae was just a little terrified.  
       China Irons mused for a moment. “A betazoid can conduct multiple telepathic functions simultaneously, sometimes without actively trying. The more powerful telepaths can almost completely automate such functions. This must be how the telepath is maintaining the block or he would have awakened as soon as she fell asleep. Unless she hasn’t slept yet, in which case she will start to lose strength rapidly. She may not even be aware she’s doing this at this point.”

4.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Dr. Kim (TMH)  
> Human Ethnicity: Korean (Hologram)  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: New Eden, Mars  
> Introduced: Episode 4.2  
> Age when introduced: 3  
> Role: Tactical Medical Hologram, U.S.S. Hunter


	28. Episode 4.3 - Run to Earth: Ground Operations Lounge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An inside view of life on the U.S.S. Hunter for the Ground Operations team as the ship flees from the power of the telepathic Breakfast Killer #2 (BK2).
> 
> _Buttons Ngumbo laced his fingers behind his head and reclined. If an ancient Greek were to happen by, he would immediately look for a block of marble to record an image of the young man’s perfect form... With his shiny, nearly black skin and powerful, ropy muscles, Buttons looked like speed itself, taking a rare breather, perhaps only to pose for others to admire._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 3 - Ground Operations Lounge

4.3  
Ground Operations Lounge

      Like all non-automated starships, the vast majority of the Hunter’s space and resources were devoted to meeting the needs of the crew. But the Hunter was not a deep space vessel. Crew members on the big ships would literally spend years in space without ever exiting their vessel. For this reason, ships designed for deep space missions were essentially flying hotels with extensive crew quarters and recreational facilities.  
       In order to conserve space on the Hunter, crew members slept in their emergency escape pods. Only the three executive officers had individual staterooms. The remainder of crew quarters consisted of a number of small lounges, each the size of a stateroom, arranged around groups of escape pods. These lounges were designed to serve between four and six individuals. Each contained two couches that folded out of the walls and an open space in which a holographic dining table, or exercise equipment (or, in the case of Dr. Carrera, a baby grand piano) tailored for individual needs could be projected. The energy cost of creating such items holographically for temporary use was far less than the cost of actually carrying these items and securing them would be.  
      The four department directors, 1st lieutenants Carrera, Smith and Dolphin and Lt. Commander Dr. Tali Shae, shared the director’s lounge on deck 4. The Ground Operations lounge, accommodating the two investigators and the four members of the tactical operations squad, was tucked into another corner of deck 4.

       The Hunter did incorporate one accommodation not often found in starships - the outer ring of the largest deck, deck 5, was a dedicated running track. This was a concession to the need for the crew to maintain a high level of physical fitness. The Hunter’s mission included interdiction of criminals on the ground by a highly trained tactical operations squad and by pilots using interceptors, which had limited inertial dampening. Fighter pilots tended to be body builders - having a greater muscle mass allowed pilots to deliberately constrict their blood flow by constricting their muscles - helping to keep more blood in their brains to maintain consciousness during high G turns.  
      The rest of the crew also took advantage of the deck 5 running track, but whenever Buttons Ngumbo arrived on deck 5, anyone else running there would wrap up their tracking and leave the track to Buttons. This was neither out of respect nor dislike, but simply because Buttons ran so much faster than anyone else, his presence alone would make the track feel crowded as he would pass other runners twice and even three times before they could make a single lap.  
      Having long noticed this, Buttons had become very regular about his training time so that the rest of the crew could plan around him. This was beneficial to him as it allowed him to run as fast as he could given the need to constantly turn on an oval track that was less than 40 meters in circumference.   


      Following his run, Buttons went down one deck to the Ground Ops lounge and took a vibe-shower, which allowed him to wash both his body and his running trunks in waves of damp air that felt and acted like water, but left him and his clothing dry after cleaning. This cleaned his body without need for chemicals such as soaps. His sweat and any accumulated grime was reclaimed by the boat’s life support system for reprocessing. The lounges each had two such shower units - which could allow six people to coexist in relative peace.  
       Buttons donned his running trunks again and walked, barefoot and bare chested, to relax on one of the couches. Each lounge had its own culture and the ground operations group, half male and half female, felt comfortable with minimal clothing.  
      Lynhart Shran was seated on another couch, wearing gray shorts and undershirt, diligently polishing his shoes. Shran was probably the only person on board who actually had personal belongings to bring on board. Buttons’ clothing, including his running shoes, was made by the replicator using patterns stored in his personnel file. When these became threadbare or damaged, he would dump them into the replicator to be reduced to their component materials and reconstructed.  
       All of Shran’s clothing was tailor made, including his jeans and his shoes. He also had his service revolver from his years in the Andorian Imperial Guard, along with a supply of ammunition that was exclusively made on Andoria for this antique weapon. Like Buttons, Shran was a creature of habit. He cleaned and oiled his revolver every morning and polished his shoes at the end of every shift.  
       Buttons Ngumbo laced his fingers behind his head and reclined. If an ancient Greek were to happen by, he would immediately look for a block of marble to record an image of the young man’s perfect form - possibly needlessly adding winged sandals as if anything could make the young investigator look faster. With his almost shiny, nearly black skin and powerful, ropy muscles, Buttons looked like speed itself, taking a rare breather, perhaps only to pose for others to admire.  
      Shran got up, stored his shoes and the polishing kit in a foot locker mounted in the escape pod that served as his sleeping pod. He fished out two bottles of beer he had acquired on Ocean and opened them. Ngumbo’s eyes were closed, but he held out his hand as Shran wordlessly brought him one of the bottles.  
      The investigators reclined on separate couches, eyes closed, silently enjoying their beers. They had been partners for years and this was a sort of evening ritual.  
       This quiet aesthetic was broken when the four tactical squad members bustled into the room. They weren’t noisy, but they were quite energetic. Buttons wasn’t yet 30, but these scrawny street kids made him feel ancient by comparison as they disrobed and hit the showers.   
      Belo Cantys was the first out of the shower. The youngest and scrawniest of the lot, she wasn’t heavily muscled, but there was hardly any fat on her body - her ribs were there to count. Dressed only in an athletic bra and shorts, she threw herself onto the couch next to Shran. Buttons smiled and closed his eyes again. Those two would not remain in public long. They had been together almost from the moment the Buttons and Shran Detective Agency had been attached to the Hunter.

       Star Fleet recognized the inevitability of relationships among crew members, particularly on deep space missions. In order to protect everyone, a joint-disclosure registered with one of the executive officers and the medical director was required at the beginning and end of any intimate relationship among crew members. This led to a long-running joke about the Star Fleet approved pickup line: “Hey baby.. do you want to disclose?”

      Cantys’s half-brother, Belo Garr, called for a resistance training kit, which the holographic emitters produced in the small open area in the lounge. He started a short workout. Their half-sister, Belo Rys and their cousin, Jarrong, headed directly to their pods after emerging from the showers. Buttons drained his beer, got up without a word, dropped the empty bottle in the replicator and retreated to his pod as well.

4.3


	29. Episode 4:4 - Run to Earth: The Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ground Operations Director Lt. T'Lok Smith cannot sleep.
> 
> _T’Lok knelt next to her childhood friend, gently brushed T’Lon’s hair, then placed her fingers on T’Lon’s temple, touching her mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A detail in this short chapter will drive half of Episode 7...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 4 - The Touch

4.4  
The Touch

        With Kenny Dolphin unconscious in the wagon, T’Lok Smith had the director’s lounge to herself - as she generally had for the two years before Dolphin was finally brought aboard as the director of flight operations. Director Carrera usually worked a different shift and was gone before T’Lok arrived. He tended to work all kinds of hours and it was not uncommon for him to use the safety shower in main engineering. Dr. Tali Shae, the medical director, had a cot in a small room adjoining her office and preferred to sleep there. There was also a shower in the surgery that doctors used before and after operations.  
      T’Lok had never thought of the director’s lounge as a lonely place before, but she had gotten used to Dolphin’s presence. He was a deep thinker and she greatly enjoyed their conversations. Before he came she had rather enjoyed the solitude. It felt unbearable now. Unable to sleep, she wandered up to the shuttle bay and stepped aboard the wagon.  
       T’Lon was sleeping fitfully, her hand affixed to Dolphin’s face by a sling. China Irons was stretched out on another makeshift bed in the center of the wagon. She looked up briefly at T’Lok, not surprised by her presence, then laid back down - clearly exhausted.   
      T’Lok knelt next to her childhood friend, gently brushed T’Lon’s hair, then placed her fingers on T’Lon’s temple, touching her mind. T’Lon seemed to breathe a little easier.

4.4


	30. Episode 4.5 - Run to Earth: A Matter of Mass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Engineering Department Director Dr. Carrera is stumped about how to stabilize the experimental recursive warp mode (dubbed "zip drive" by Wesley Crusher). 
> 
> His newest and least experienced flight engineer solves the problem.
> 
>  
> 
> _Carrera sat down, very slowly, and looked at his junior staff member - then placed his face in his hands, elbows on the desk._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 5 - A Matter of Mass

4.5  
A Matter of Mass

      Dr. Carrera had long been accustomed to working double shifts and sleeping in his office. His staff had also become accustomed to such conditions. Many of them were at least part vulcan and found solving engineering problems as good as any other form of recreation. They had been trying to crack this one - getting the zip drive to work properly - since before the keel had been laid. But it was really up to Dr. Carrera. This was primarily a math problem and the only other math genius on board, Lt. Tauk, was in an artificial coma.  
      Carrera could tell he was close, though. Replication would be very problematic. It all had to do with mass. And not just gross mass - an increase or decrease of only a few kilograms and the solution had to be scrapped and the math started from scratch. There was no simple way to handle this variable - it affected the entire process from the start of the calculations, requiring the invention of an entirely different series of equations every time the mass changed even a little. Mass could be controlled on drones. But add a live crew and even on a boat this small, mass would change enough throughout every mission to routinely require entirely new equations.  
      For now, these equations would get them into recursive warp mode - or, as Wesley Crusher had dubbed it - zip drive.  
      “Hunter,” Carrera called. The boat’s interactive holographic avatar appeared to his right.  
      “Did you solve it?” the old man asked.  
       “For now. It all comes down to mass. We knew that, but there is no simple way to recalculate when the boat’s gross mass goes out of tolerance by 3.14 kilograms,” Carrera answered. He tapped a large viewer that was displaying an insanely complicated series of calculations. “Display this series in the engineering conference room. All engineering staff, if you’re awake, please join me in conference room #2.”  
       Carrera had been awake for far too many hours, but he sprinted with renewed energy to the engineering conference room. Four engineers were waiting for him. The remainder of his staff should be asleep. His assistant director, Lt. Moon Sun Salek was already studying the calculations.  
      “The entire process changes every time,” Dr. Moon observed. She was as frustrated as her director.  
       Carrera replied. “The tolerance is 3.14 kilograms. Or more specifically, 3.1415926535897…”  
       “Pi,” Moon cut him off.  
       “Pi,” Carrera replied. “It sounds so universally significant. But it’s pi kilograms. It doesn’t make any sense at all. Why kilograms? Why not pi vloms? Or pi tons? Or pi grotofish?”  
      Carrera wasn’t attempting humor, but his reference to an archaic standard unit of mass used by pre-warp bolians elicited nervous laughter and raised eyebrows.  
      “Okay - you have your measurements. Take your part of this solution and make your part of the process ready.” Carrera turned to address one of his flight engineers, “Tomos, you are assigned to continuity. Make sure all these pieces fit together. That’s my job, too, you’re my backup.”  
      Tomos spoke up. “Dr. Carrera - if mass is such a problematic variable, why don’t we just make it a constant?”  
      Carrera looked at the vulcan engineer. Then looked at him again.  
       “Mass changes throughout every mission, Mr. Tomos.”  
      “But what if we use ballast? If we pick up more mass - such as a passenger, we remove that exact amount from the ballast. It could be done with asteroidal debris or trace gasses. When we lose mass, we beam in more debris.”

       Carrera sat down, very slowly, and looked at his junior staff member - then placed his face in his hands, elbows on the desk.

      Tomos was about 100 years old - middle aged for a vulcan, but new to space flight and warp theory. He had previously been a librarian living in seclusion at a distant vulcan sanctuary. He watched his director closely. Carrera worked far too hard for a human. He was brilliant - a legend within the close-knit community of the Daystrom Institute. He was also under the impression he was a vulcan and it wasn’t healthy for him.  
      Carrera finally looked up, the exhaustion clear on his face. “Hunter.”  
       The elderly looking hologram appeared next to Tomos. “You need rest, Dr. Carrera…”  
      “Yes I do,” Carrera responded. “Work with Flight Engineer Tomos and develop a program to automatically stabilize the Hunter’s mass. Mr. Tomos - get Midshipman Brazil involved as well, but I want you to head this up. It’s your idea. If we lose mass while in transit, find a way to beam in more. Safety protocols… Emergency procedures… as soon as ready, bring it online. It looks like I’m going to have to make sure of continuity of the zip drive solution on my own.”  
      “Understood, sir,” Tomos replied.

4.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: 2nd Lieutenant Moon Sun Salek (Salek)  
> Human Ethnicity: Korean  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: New Eden, Mars  
> Introduced: Episode 4.5  
> Age when introduced: 41  
> Role: Assistant Director of Engineering, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Flight Engineer Tomos (Tomos)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Sanctuary of the Waterbirds, Cophus II  
> Introduced: Episode 4.5  
> Age when introduced: 100  
> Role: Flight Engineer, U.S.S. Hunter


	31. Episode 4.6 - Run to Earth: Blowout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tactical squad are training on the running track on deck 5 when the Hunter is ambushed and puts the tactical squad in a desperate situation.
> 
>  
> 
> _Cantys and Garr struggled helplessly on the floor and gasped for air in the freezing near vacuum of the evacuated track..._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 6 - Blowout

4.6  
Blowout

       Lt. T’Lok Smith was accustomed to running in the morning with T’Lon and her tactical squad. For the first time, T’Lon wasn’t there. But Jarrong and the three half-siblings were warming up in an open area near the lift tube on deck 5 when T’Lok arrived. Belo Rys, Belo Garr and Belo Cantys shared a bajoran mother, but had separate fathers, all cardassian. Their mother had been taken as a slave during the Cardassian Occupation. Jarrong’s grandmother was another bajoran slave from the same family. Even though they were only a few years younger than T’Lon, the four had adopted the young vulcan as a sort of family member - a sentiment T’Lon had made use of in training her squad.  
      T’Lok had already stretched. She touched each squad member on the shoulder as each stepped onto the track and started running, then followed them. They had to make dozens of laps, constantly having to take sharp turns on the small, oval track. Because of this limitation to the track, runners were accustomed to changing direction every 20 laps. T’Lok had passed all of the squad members except Jarrong - the only squad member close to the young vulcan’s height. She and Jarrong had just reversed direction when an explosion shook the boat.

      Part of the bulkhead on the port side of the Hunter exploded outward, exposing the track to space. The ring decompressed as the atmosphere was blown out through the hull, carrying first T’Lok, then Jarrong and Belo Rys out into the vacuum of space.  
      Belo Garr - who was still on the starboard side with his other half-sister - flattened himself against an interior wall - his fingers searching for any purchase. He reached out and grabbed Cantys’s arm. These two youngest squad members slid inexorably toward the hull breach, but dropped to the floor as an emergency protocol erected a forcefield over the breach.  
       Cantys and Garr struggled helplessly on the floor and gasped for air in the freezing near vacuum of the evacuated track before another emergency protocol engaged the transporter and beamed them directly to the Medical bay. The same protocol captured Jarrong, Rys and T’Lok, rescuing them from the vacuum of space and sending them directly to the Medical bay. The Emergency Medical Hologram was also immediately activated and the Medical staff alerted to the emergency.  
      The new program designed and brought online by Tomos, registering the loss of mass in the form of atmosphere and deck plating, reached out with the cargo transporter system searching for any mass to replace this loss with, with the result that that atmosphere and the deck plating were immediately beamed into storage areas to re-balance the Hunter’s mass.

       Justice Irons had risen for the day. C shift was nearing its end and Lt. Commander Mlady was in the captain’s chair. Irons was in the midst of her morning Tai Chi training, wincing with every move of her right arm, slow, deliberate, when an instinct stopped her. She had been a Star Fleet captain nearly half of her exceptionally long life and had learned to trust that gut instinct.  
      Irons carefully reinserted her right arm into its sling and stepped onto the bridge at the same moment that medical forensic specialist, Midshipman Tolon Reeves, currently serving a shift at the tactical console, said, “Ship decloaking off the port unnnhhh….” He gripped the console and grunted as a poorly aimed disruptor beam grazed the Hunter’s port side with tremendous energy.  
       Mlady responded instantly, “Shields up, power weapons and bring us about!”  
      “Belay that order!” Justice Irons was hanging onto the door frame between her office and the bridge with her left hand. “Give me warp eleven now!”  
      Flight Specialist Dih Terri, at the helm, had only recently become aware such speeds might be possible. But she dialed it in and the Hunter suddenly lurched, the deck plating groaning in protest. A second disruptor beam passed near the aft of the Hunter - in the next heartbeat the interloper was left light-years behind as the patrol craft made a blur of the stars.  
      Mlady stood up, but Irons waived her back down. “Stay put, Lieutenant Commander, I need you in that chair right now. Hunter - damage report.”  
       The elderly interactive avatar did not appear as usual, but his voice was carried into the bridge by the communication system. “Hull breach on deck 5. Atmosphere vented. Five casualties, all transported directly to Medical bay. I am working with Ensign Sun and Transporter Engineer K’rok to repair the hull. Emergency force field is in place, but I advise against repressurizing until repairs are complete.”  
       Irons responded: “Shipwide, deck 5 is depressurized and off limits - pressure suit access only.” She turned to her second officer as Pep entered the bridge. “Lieutenant Commander - remain in command. If they catch up to us or any other ship shows up, run away faster. You have clearance up to warp 14. Any faster than that and this boat will come apart.” She turned to her gigantic first officer, “David, suit up. I need you on deck 5 supervising repairs. Get a camera on the outside and get a look at the hull. Full damage assessment. I will be in Engineering first, then Medical.”   
      Without a word, Pep turned and exited the bridge, heading toward a locker near the ground operations room. Irons passed him on her way to the lift. She gripped one of the handles as the doors closed and said, “Main engineering.”

4.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Midshipman Tolon Reeves (Reeves)  
> Human Ethnicity: Indian  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Bangalore, India, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 4.6  
> Age when introduced: 46  
> Role: Medical Forensic Investigator, U.S.S. Hunter


	32. Episode 4.7 - Run to Earth: Triage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Jazz and the medical department work to save the crew members who were ejected into space. Dr. Tali Shae conducts an autopsy.
> 
> _Dr. Tali Shae was the next to enter the operating room. She looked at the fifth patient - a sheet draped over the entire table. Dr. Raj responded to Dr. Shae’s glance by slowly shaking his holographic head._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 7 - Triage

4.7  
Triage

       Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder started surgery immediately on one of the victims, then turned that surgery over to Dr. Chrissiana Trei - aside from explosive decompression disorder, this victim had a few broken bones and several deep wounds. She needed blood, bone repair and skin regeneration. Dr. Trei could handle that.  
      Dr. Raj, the Emergency Medical Hologram, had completed the triage. Two of the victims had experienced decompression, but nothing else as they had not been ejected. Dr. Raj could handle their treatment.  
       Dr. Jazz wrinkled his nose - which, considering he was fully bajoran, created an almost comic accordion effect. This victim had far more extensive injuries and needed a significant amount of blood immediately. Using the victim’s transporter files, Dr. Jazz synthesized three liters of her blood for immediate use. Synthetic blood was useful, but could cause organ damage if too much remained in the system after a few days. There were drugs that could enhance her natural blood production and help metabolize the synthetic blood out - he only hoped she would be healthy enough for that treatment. For the moment, he needed to re-attach her hand, which had been beamed in along with her and placed in a stasis field.  
      Dr. Tali Shae was the next to enter the operating room. She looked at the fifth patient - a sheet draped over the entire table. Dr. Raj responded to Dr. Shae’s glance by slowly shaking his holographic head.  Dr. Shae walked around, checking the treatment of each victim, then stepped in to assist Dr. Jazz. She stepped back as Dr. Sif, one of her forensic specialists, entered, allowing the young trill to take over providing assistance for Dr. Jazz.  
       With a deep sense of foreboding, Dr. Tali Shae approached the fifth table and lifted the sheet. She bit her lip, grimacing, deliberately hiding her face from the rest of her staff. She took a deep breath, then asked “Do any of you need assistance?”  
       None of the doctors answered. Dr. Raj, the EMH, noticing that an answer was needed, reported: “Two patients are stabilized, the other two are receiving appropriate treatment.”  
      Dr. Shae responded, “I am removing the fatality for forensic examination.” She used the Medical bay transporter system to move the lifeless form from the table in the main surgery to the front surgery and walked to the front surgery.

      Only once she was out of sight of her staff did Dr. Tali Shae allow herself to shake. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then turned back to the table, removed the sheet and did her job.

4.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: 2nd Lieutenant Jazz Sam Sinder (Sam)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Ilvia, Bajor  
> Introduced: Episode 4.7  
> Age when introduced: 37  
> Role: Assistant Medical Director, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Dr. Raj (EMH)  
> Human Ethnicity: Indian (Hologram)  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: New Eden, Mars  
> Introduced: Episode 4.7  
> Age when introduced: 2  
> Role: Emergency Medical Hologram, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Midshipman Sif (Sif)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Numinor, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 4.7  
> Age when introduced: 31  
> Role: Medical Forenic Investigator, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Ensign Chrissiana Trei (Chrissiana)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Trill  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Horizon, Trillus Prime  
> Introduced: Episode 4.7  
> Age when introduced: 34  
> Role: Navigator, U.S.S. Hunter


	33. Episode 4.8 - Run to Earth: The Carrera Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The U.S.S. Hunter enters recursive warp mode (zip drive) for the first time.
> 
> _He then watched with a mixture of dread and pride as his engine thundered to life and did its work. He suppressed an impulse to cheer. This was what he had built these engines to do. Somewhere deep in his mind was an image of Wesley Crusher rubbing his hands together and cackling, “It’s aliiiiivveee…”_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 8 - The Carrera Effect

4.8  
The Carrera Effect

        The explosion woke Dr. Carrera, who was dozing lightly at the warp control panel. He immediately checked over the readiness of the zip drive, then checked the ship’s mass. It was off, indicating a hull breach and loss of atmosphere and deck plating, but was restored to the correct amount within seconds. Tomos’ mass reclamation program worked.   
       A heartbeat later the command for warp eleven came through. Carrera was ready for it and engaged the zip drive immediately. He then watched with a mixture of dread and pride as his engine thundered to life and did its work. He suppressed an impulse to cheer. This was what he had built these engines to do. Somewhere deep in his mind was an image of Wesley Crusher rubbing his hands together and cackling, “It’s aliiiiivveee…”  
      Carrera suppressed his inner, manic Wesley Crusher and started giving orders: “Ensign Sun, K’rok, damage control. Dr. Moon, I need you to go to the tactical unit and manage the engine interface. Kerry - get over here and keep an eye on these readings.”

             A few moments later Justice Irons stepped off one of the lifts. “Well done, Dr. Carrera. How long can we keep this up?”  
       Carrera was only 23, but he looked like he was 50 and not in any good way. He was clearly exhausted. But he had clearly already given thought before the question was asked.   
       “I don’t know. But my recommendation is no more than three hours. Two, if we can make it two. I take it we are being pursued.”  
      Irons removed her right hand from the sling and placed her hand on his chest. The limited telepathic contact this gesture gave her was not so much an exchange of thoughts - it allowed her to sense emotions and have a calming effect. Despite all his efforts at emotional control, Dr. Carrera was human - if a brilliant one. Irons’ effect on him was visible - some of the stress and exhaustion evaporated from his face. “Your office, Lieutenant?” She gestured toward the engineering office where Dr. Carrera spent most of his time.  
      Carrera sagged into his chair as Irons said, “We were ambushed while at warp - we have to assume we are being pursued. Whatever it was, given the power of that attack it had to be a capital ship. That was no pirate. We have to assume they will follow us.”  
       Carrera responded evenly. “The zip effect will make us difficult to trace. Assuming it’s working properly and not leaving some sort of subspace cavitation. We won’t leave a conventional warp trail.”  
       “How quickly can you get us to Earth?”  
       “Assuming we stop, I would recommend going dark. Give me about an hour to check the engines and make adjustments. If all is well, we can be to Earth in about 18 hours,” Carrera said.  
       Irons’ eyebrows both went up considerably. “That is much better than 22 days. How did you resolve the mass variable problem you were telling me about?”  
      “Flight Engineer Tomos solved it for me.”   
       “I didn’t know Tomos was a mathematician,” Irons said.  
       “He isn’t. He’s a librarian.”  
      Irons smiled. “So he found the solution in an ancient vulcan library?”  
      Carrera maintained a level gaze. “He made mass a constant. About twenty minutes ago. Just in time.”  
      “I am looking forward to hearing more about that,” Irons responded. “Get some rest, Lieutenant. We’re going to need that brain of yours in about two hours and fifty minutes. Have your staff schedule the stopover and QuickQuiet with Lieutenant Commander Mlady. I am needed in Medical.”  
       Dr. Carrera looked down, then up, “Casualties?”  
       “Five. I don’t know their status, so do not worry yet, Lieutenant.”  
       “Aye, Captain…  Good luck,” Carrera added as Irons headed toward the lift.

4.8


	34. Episode 4.9 - Run to Earth: Casualties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Tali Shae reports the results of the autopsy to Captain Minerva Irons. Irons is struck with grief over the loss of a valued crew member.
> 
> _Irons heard herself saying, “I want an autopsy. I want to know how she died.” Irons hated the coldness she heard in her own voice._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 9 - Casualties

4.9  
Casualties

      Justice Irons walked into the empty Medical Office and sat down across from her best friend’s desk. There was nowhere else to be at this moment. Nothing to do but wait. Her crew were doing their jobs. Her job now was to help the crew accept the casualties. She could only hope that this office was empty because there were living crew members being tended to in the two surgeries beyond.

       After a very long five minutes, Dr. Tali Shae entered the room from the surgery. Irons could tell by her expression that something was terribly wrong. That and the wash of bitter emotion Tali brought into the room with her. Irons watched as the doctor slowly sat down - grief clear on her face. Irons simply waited.  
      “The tactical squad was training in the track on deck 5,” Tali Shae started. “They are all recovering. But T’Lok…” the doctor caught her breath.  
      Irons could feel her face responding with grief, but it felt like something that was happening on the surface of her face - it hadn’t made its way to her heart yet.  
      “She…” Dr. Shae caught her breath again. “She didn’t make it.”  
      Irons heard herself saying, “I want an autopsy. I want to know how she died.” Irons hated the coldness she heard in her own voice.  
       “I’ve already done that, Minerva,” the doctor responded. “She must have been the first exposed to space. As you know, a disruptor, unlike a phaser, carries a heavy radioactive backwash,” The doctor’s voice steadied and she took on a more clinical tone. “It doesn’t last long. From the wounds on T’Lok’s arms and legs, it looks like she spread-eagled on the breach, trying to keep from getting blown out. Her back was exposed to the radiation in backwash of the disrupter beam - it boiled her organs inside her.”  
      Irons felt the coldness settling in.  
       “She probably saved Jarrong and Belo Rys. They were ejected behind her, but by the time they hit space the radiation had dissipated. Dr. Jazz is re-attaching Belo Rys’s hand. She should have full use of it by tomorrow.” Tali Shae fell silent, then started to shake.  
       Irons finally managed to sort out a few words. She was still listening to herself saying them, as if part of her was in another room, listening in. “Tali… I didn’t know… You know, I didn’t realize how much of my hope for the future was invested in that young woman.”  
       Tali Shae tried to respond, but couldn’t.  
       Irons heard herself say, “I feel guilty… I can’t stop wishing that it was anyone else. I’ve been a starship captain for more than eighty years. I’ve lost more crew members than we have serving on this boat. But this one… She should have lived another hundred and fifty years. All the wonders she should have seen… This is one horrible day.” Irons looked down and fell silent.

       Dr. Tali Shae found her voice. “I felt the deck plates. I’ve never felt anything like it before. How fast are we traveling?”  
      “Warp eleven,” Irons responded, not understanding where this came from.  
       Tali Shae continued, “However you remember this day, Star Fleet will remember this as the first day a starship travelled above warp ten deliberately and under its own power. You’ve broken the biggest speed record. And if that drive works the way it’s supposed to work, you’re not tearing space apart - you’re repairing it.”  
       Irons laid her head back, staring at the ceiling. “We could have done that tomorrow.”  
      “Minerva, you’re going to have to tell the crew. I just don’t know how you do that. Everyone loves T’Lok. There is no one on this boat she didn’t comfort or hug or make laugh…”  
      Irons finally felt her voice as if it were her own again. “This one hurts.” She bit her lip, then managed, “a lot.”  
       Dr. Tali Shae and Justice Minerva Irons sat in silence for a few moments.  
      Without looking up, Tali said, “You know, you need to tell them about warp eleven. And the zip drive. And while we lost T’Lok, we saved four others.” Tali Shae looked up. “Minerva, we need to remember this as a good day. Dr. Carrera’s whole life has been about this. That whole engineering department - they’ve been working themselves to death making this happen. And they saved all our lives. We were able to run away.”  
       Irons felt a bitter laugh escape her. At that moment the communication system came alive, bringing the slightly mechanical voice of the Tactical Medical Hologram, Dr. Kim, into the room. The TMH sounded oddly excited: “Dr. Shae, they’re awake…”

4.9


	35. Episode 4.10 - Run to Earth: Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dolphin & T'Lon briefly awaken. 
> 
> Justice Irons announces the death of a widely admired crew member.
> 
> _China had never wanted such an exciting life... She had no idea what had drawn her mother out of retirement no less than four times to return to the helm of a starship._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 10 - Awakening

4.10  
Awakening

       By the time Justice Irons and Dr. Shae arrived at the wagon, China Irons had removed the sling that had held T’Lon’s fingers to Lt. Dolphin’s temple and the two had both fallen into a normal sleep, clearly exhausted, no longer in telepathic contact. Investigator Shran arrived only a moment later.

      “So it’s true,” the old investigator said.  
      Dr. Shae was using a tricorder to verify that Dolphin and T’Lon were stable.  
      “It’s time to wake Tauk up,” Shran said.  
      “We’re out of range of the Breakfast Killer?” Irons asked.  
      “BK#2,” Shran said. “I have Buttons on deck 5 looking at the evidence from the attack. I’ve been going over the telemetry with Dewayne Guth. That young man has seen a thing or two. By the time you get my boss out of deep freeze, we should have something for you. It’s just a hunch at the moment, but I think I know what that attack was about.”  
      Irons turned toward the old investigator. “Could it have anything to do with our, well, as you say, BK#2?”  
      “We’re alive,” Shran said. “So, all things considered, my opinion would be, no.” Shran’s antennae turned toward Dr. Shae, then his attention followed. “Doc, think I can be there when you wake the kid up? He’s probably going to be a little sore with all of us.”  
      Dr. Tali Shae looked at Irons. “Minerva?”  
      “Wake him up, Tali.” Minerva Irons responded. “And tell him he is in charge of Ground Operations for now.” She turned and looked at Dolphin and T’Lon. “I’m glad they’re sleeping. I don’t want the first thing they hear to be my announcement about T’Lok.”  
      China and Shran both turned toward her.   
      “She died in the attack,” Irons said. “Don’t tell anyone - I will make the announcement in a few moments. I just need to put some words to it. This,” she gestured toward Dolphin and T’Lon, “this is very good news.”

             Minerva Irons returned to the bridge, not looking at her second officer, who was still in the captain’s chair. Or anyone else. She could feel their eyes on her as she walked straight to her office and let the door close behind her. She sat at her desk, then retrieved a hair brush from a drawer, removed her right hand from its sling and slowly, methodically, painfully brushed her hair.

       China Irons watched Dolphin and T’Lon sleeping. She was still processing what she had heard about T’Lok, the attack, the killer. China had never wanted such an exciting life. She was a cultural archeologist, specializing in vulcan culture. Her husband was a judge. Two of their children were in Star Fleet. There were few more dangerous jobs. She had no idea what had drawn her mother out of retirement no less than four times to return to the helm of a starship.

      Shran and Buttons helped Lt. Tauk sit up. The long period under sedation had left the young ferengi woozy and for some reason he had a bit of a cough. It took a few minutes before his senses had cleared enough for his investigators to bring him up to date and he was still more than a little confused.

       Belo Rys was propped up into a reasonably uncomfortable position on the surgical bed. She really didn’t feel strong enough to leave it. She stared at her hand in wonder. She could see the faint ring of new skin where her hand had been reattached. She slowly flexed her fingers. It didn’t feel as if her hand had been ripped off - it looked, responded and felt just like normal. She looked at her half-sister and half-brother, neither quite asleep nor awake. Jarrong was up and pacing, but wore herself out quickly and then propped herself up in a corner.

      Dr. Carrera slept soundly on a cot hidden in an alcove behind his office. Pep walked into main engineering, partly to marvel at the engine that was carrying this boat faster than the fastest top of the line deep space ships and partly to quietly congratulate and encourage the engineering staff for their hard won accomplishment.

       “All hands…” Justice Irons’ voice was carried throughout the boat by the communication system. “That new feeling underneath you in the deck plates is the feeling of traveling at warp eleven. This date will be remembered as the first successful manned flight using a new propulsion configuration that allows us to achieve much higher speeds without causing damage to spacetime. Not only that, but in theory, use of this method will repair the damage done by centuries of warp drive. This has been the life work of our Director of Engineering, Dr. Sarekson Carrera and when you think back to this day, I want you to remember that this is in no small part his day.”  
      “But this is also the day we lost one of our own. We were ambushed and suffered casualties. Fortunately, between the smooth operation of our safety protocols and the expertise of our medical department, four lives were saved. But it grieves me deeply to inform you that our Director of Ground Operations, Lieutenant T’Lok Smith, was killed in the line of duty at six hours and forty-four minutes this morning.”  
       “I can only tell you how deeply I feel this loss. But we are not out of danger yet and I still need each of you to perform your duties to the high standards that you always have achieved. If, however, you need to take a few minutes to recover, please inform your officer in charge. At nine hours, thirty minutes we will come to a full stop and go dark for one hour. If your duties permit, you may join Dr. Tali Shae and me in the Medical bay at that time.”   
      “That is all.”

      Dr. Carrera slept soundly straight through the announcement.

4.10


	36. Episode 4.11 - Run to Earth: Dark Mode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The U.S.S. Hunter goes dark.
> 
> 2nd Lt. Tauk takes over the Ground Operations Department as Acting Director.
> 
> _Tauk turned and put his hand on T’Lon’s arm. “T’Lon, this is not an order, but our biggest clue is in Dr. Dolphin’s mind. Can you find it?”_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 11 - Dark Mode

4.11  
Dark Mode

      The Hunter was dark, its decks illuminated only by luminescent panels, radiating out the light energy the chemicals inside those panels had been absorbing from the general lighting. A dim blue glow - just enough to see by. The only control panels that were powered were the ones that Dr. Carrera and his engineering department needed to evaluate the condition of the engines. Only the Medical bay, which included the brig units, was fully powered. This was the most heavily insulated area, deep in the interior of the boat.  
      With the exception of the engineering department and four staff on the bridge, most of the crew was gathered in Medical. T’Lok’s body was in cold storage. Lt. Tauk, Lt. Dolphin, and Ensign T’Lon - all awakened from their long, involuntary slumbers - were present, huddled together, T’Lon’s team crowded in close around them. Belo Cantys and her half-brother, Garr, seemed momentarily unwilling to step aside to allow Justice Irons to step up and place her hand on Tauk’s chest. The little ferengi barely moved.  
      “Tauk, I’m sorry,” Irons said. “You have no defenses against the Breakfast Killer. She tried to kill Lieutenant Dolphin. If she had tried to kill you as well… Our only choice was to keep you sedated so she couldn’t find you.”  
       Tauk nodded numbly. Investigator Shran stepped up behind him and placed a hand on the young lieutenant’s shoulder.  
       Irons continued, “Lieutenant, as assistant director, until I name a new director, you are in charge of ground operations.”  
      Tauk started to nod, then turned and called to the medical director: “Dr. Shae - can we link the forensic work stations to the data for ground ops?”  
       Tali Shae looked at Tauk, but her antennae twitched toward the forensic work stations located in the forward surgery. “It’s all one computer,” she said.

      Tauk and his staff gathered in the forward surgery. “Before we can capture our Breakfast Killer, we have to find her. So someone tell me how we know it is a female?”  
       Shran spoke up. “On the beach, when everything went sideways, BK2 was reaching out to us. Looking for anyone who had been looking for her. The Judge and me - we don’t have much in the way of telepathy, but we do have some defenses. But T’Lok could sense her - she told us it was a female mind - a very powerful one.”  
      Belo Cantys winced slightly when Shran said T’Lok’s name and looked at T’Lon, but the ensign registered no emotion.  
       Tauk reacted to a different part of Shran’s response. “BK2?”  
      “We know she’s not the first one. And using an acronym will help - take it from an old manhunter. The target is a target.”  
      “We’re trying to capture this target, Lynhart, not kill her,” Tauk said.  
       “That is going to be a very tall order, Boss.”  
      “Worked like a charm on me,” Tauk responded, slightly acerbically. He turned toward T’Lon. “Ensign, I would like to use your squad to do some detective work.”  
       T’Lon responded evenly, “Put us to work, Sir.”  
       Tauk took a moment to adjust - he had outranked T’Lon since he met her, but they had always been colleagues working for T’Lok. He had never given her an order and only now realized his request had to be construed as one. He took a deep breath, then plowed on, now addressing the squad members. “I need you to each take one of BK2’s victims. Start with the humans. Trace their movements over the past three years. We are operating under the assumption that BK2 used repeated mind-melds to install… instructions. What we’re looking for is a correlation that places the human victims in proximity where BK2 would have had prolonged opportunity to conduct a number of mind-melds. Probably over the space of several days, if not weeks. Investigator Buttons, I want you to supervise. Make sure all the human victims are followed, then do the same with their spouses. If my theory is right, they will all pass through one or two different places. If you get that far, start looking for any female vulcan/betazoid hybrids in those places at those times.”  
       Shran smiled. “Amazing what a good sleep will do for you, Boss,” he said. “So what do you want me to do?”  
       “I assume you’ve been putting together a plan to kill her,” Tauk said.  
       “Until about five minutes ago, I had an idea…” Shran started.  
      Tauk cut him off. “I want you to come up with a plan to capture her and render her powers inert.”  
      Shran shook his head, his antennae comically moving the opposite direction from his face. “I just knew you were going to say that, boss”

       Tauk turned and put his hand on T’Lon’s arm. “T’Lon, this is not an order, but our biggest clue is in Dr. Dolphin’s mind. Can you find it?”  
       “I can try.. I want to try. If he will allow me. It may take a lot of time.”  
       “Take all the time you need - and only if he will allow it. But he needs to consider this,” Tauk continued. “Whatever BK2 put in his head - it’s probably still there. And you are probably the only person who can dig it out of him. I’m sure he will want to be rid of it.”

       Dr. Tali Shae stormed into the room, her antennae twitching. “Alright, what are you people doing on my forensic workstations? Get back to your own room!”  
       Justice Irons was behind the doctor, laughing quietly. “We’re clear for warp eleven. You can go back to the ground ops center now. Investigator Shran, do you have some answers for me about what attacked us?”  
       “I think so, Boss.”  
      “Lieutenant Tauk, I want you, Buttons and Shran in Conference Room 1 in twenty minutes. Be ready to talk about the attack,” Irons concluded. “Lieutenant Commander Mlady, bring us to warp eleven and get us to Earth. Executive staff meeting in twenty minutes, Conference Room 1.”  
       The communication system carried Mlady’s voice back from the bridge, “Aye, Captain.”

4.11


	37. Episode 4.12 - Run to Earth: Assessment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The senior staff review the evidence to determine who ambushed the U.S.S. Hunter - and why.
> 
> _But all eyes were focused on a holographic image of an as yet unidentified ship gradually emerging from a cloaking field, firing a bright red disrupter beam at almost the very moment it decloaked. The entire sequence depicted an event that had lasted only three seconds, but the display slowed this sequence to a crawl._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 12 - Assessment

4.12  
Assessment

       The three surviving department directors, 1st Lieutenants Kenneth Dolphin and Sarekson Carrera and Lt. Commander Tali Shae were seated around the antique teak table in the executive conference room along with the executive staff: Justice Minerva Irons, Commander David Pepper and Lt. Commander Mlady. Investigators Lynhart Shran and Buttons Ngumbo were also seated at the table.   
       Outside the large window on the starboard side of the room, stars streamed by at a speed none of them had ever witnessed before. But all eyes were focused on a holographic image of an as yet unidentified ship gradually emerging from a cloaking field, firing a bright red disrupter beam at almost the very moment it decloaked. The entire sequence depicted an event that had lasted only three seconds, but the display slowed this sequence to a crawl.   
       2nd Lt Tauk stood next to this image at the front of the room. “As you are no doubt aware, there are several different types of cloaking device. They all work on the same basic principle, but they manifest in different ways. The frequency of the shimmer we collected on telemetry is consistent with a romulan cloak. But the prow of the ship we were able to observe, and the material composition of its hull are not consistent with romulan construction. Not to mention the color spectrum of the disruptor beam.”  
       Tauk continued, “Investigator Buttons performed an analysis of the damage to our hull. The results, along with the telemetry on the attacking ship’s hull, its prow design, and the color spectrum and power of the weapon, as well as the results from the autopsy on Lieutenant Smith - they’re all consistent with a cardassian Keldon class battlecruiser.”  
       “A cardassian battlecruiser with a romulan cloaking device?” Dolphin asked.  
       Dr. Carrera followed, “I want to know how they were able to fire a main disruptor before fully decloaking.”  
      Tauk responded, “This isn’t general knowledge, but during the war with the Dominion, the romulan and cardassian military intelligence agencies - the Tal Shiar and the Obsidian Order - forged an alliance. The romulans installed cloaking devices on seven cardassian Keldon class battlecruisers prior to a disastrous attack on what they thought was the homeworld of the Founders. All those ships were reported lost in that attack. Apparently they modified an eighth ship.” Tauk turned toward Dr. Carrera, “As for your question, that was really the final clue. The cardassians improved on the Galorn class battlecruiser by adding a very large battery to the main disruptor. The disruptor still needs access to main power. But if that battery were fully charged, they would not need to wait for the disruptor to power up before engaging it. No other ship would be able to do that.”  
       Mlady spoke up, “What keeps the romulans and klingons from upgrading their disruptors that way?”  
      “Treaty law,” Justice Irons responded. “Specifically the Kittomer Accords. It’s the same treaty that keeps the Federation from developing cloaking technology.”  
      Lt. Tauk continued, “Investigator Shran had already suspected the cardasians. Lynhart?”  
      Investigator Lynhart Shran continued the analysis in his gravelly voice: “Back on New Hope Colony there was cardassian junk all over the place. Cardassian disruptors, cardassian band rifles, T’Lon’s team was sheltering under cardassian armored ground vehicles. Cardassians wear skintight gloves to protect themselves against the radioactive backwash of their disruptor rifles. You can’t see these gloves on cardassians, but they’re evident when humans wear them.”  
      “Even the dampening generator,” Buttons Ngumbo added, “I was only able to shut it down because I could read cardassian script.”  
      “By itself, all that didn’t mean much,” Shran continued. “Cardassian military surplus is all over the place. It’s cheap, not as powerful as klingon weapons nor as clean and versatile as federation equipment. But it’s simple, rugged, easy to repair. You could drag a cardassian band rifle through the mud and then fire it underwater. I wouldn’t try that with my revolver.”  
       Lt. Tauk picked up the thread, “But with a Keldon class battlecruiser firing on us, not to destroy but to disable us…”  
       “They were trying to rescue Governor Ivonovic,” Justice Irons concluded. “Hunter!”  
       The boat’s interactive avatar appeared next to the holographic display, across from Lt. Tauk. “Your honor?”  
      “Prepare a recording of this briefing to send to the U.S.S. Challenger and get me Captain Summers.”

       In a few moments, the holographic image of the decloaking ship was replaced with a two-dimensional representation of the bearded Captain Summers.  
       “Summers here, how can I help you, Captain Irons?”  
      “Are you carrying Governor Ivonovic?”  
       “Taking him to Earth,” Summers responded. “Him, a few of his cronies who tried to break him out of Star Base 11 and a very pretty young woman who does not seem anywhere near smart enough to be his lawyer.”  
      “I am sending you a briefing about an attack on my vessel that occurred less than four hours ago. We believe there is a Keldon class battlecruiser using a romulan cloaking device that may attack your vessel if they realize you have Ivonovic,” Irons said. “I highly recommend you start looking for it immediately. Captain, this ship can engage its main disruptor immediately on decloaking.”  
       “That would be a violation of treaty,” Summers said.  
      “I think we may have a rogue element here, Captain” Irons responded. “The Cardassian Interim Central Government will have plausible deniability.”  
       “Understood Captain - thanks for the warning,” Summers responded.  
      “I have to look after my crew, Captain, past and present,” Irons replied with a smile. “Hunter out.”

4.12


	38. Episode 4.13 - Run to Earth: Pon Farr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenny Dolphin reflects on T'Lok's death and is surprised to be consoled by various crew members.
> 
> T'Lon makes her move on Dolphin as she enters Pon Farr.
> 
> _“Lenny Shran’s Aldebaran Whisky,” Pep observed after sniffing the empty shot glass. “That man has the best taste in everything.”_   
>  _“Mmmm..” Dolphin observed around a mouthful of fish._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 4 - Run To Earth  
Scene 13 - Pon Farr

4.13  
Pon Farr

      Lt. Kenny Dolphin wandered out of the conference room and eventually found himself on deck 5. Two of his flight crew greeted him as he stepped off the lift; they took his place in it and left the deck. Dolphin was still foggy from his recent brush with death. The only thing that had really gotten through to him since waking was T’Lok’s death. He couldn’t even remember which crew members he had just met.  
      He wandered around the track. One person was standing near the port side. It was T’Lon. He walked up to her, then just stared at the wall. T’Lon placed her hand on the wall. Dolphin focused his attention there.  
      “This is where it happened,” she said simply.  
       That section of wall looked just the same as the rest. The repair was seamless. Dolphin wondered if T’Lon could see some sort of telepathic imprint to tell her where the spot was. “How can you tell?” he asked.  
       “Telemetry,” she answered.  
       “Why are you here?” Dolphin heard himself ask.  
             T’Lon looked at him levelly. “To talk to you. Everyone has come to look at this wall. I anticipated you would as well.”  
      Kenny Dolphin just looked at her.  
       “Whatever BK2 placed in your mind, the program to kill on command, it’s probably still there,” T’Lon continued. “I think I can find it and remove it.”  
      “When do we start?” Dolphin asked.   
       “Tomorrow. When we’re strong enough,” T’Lon responded, then turned and walked away.   
      Dolphin watched her. There was something wrong about her gait, awkward. He realized she was walking with her left arm crooked - as though arm-in-arm with her now-deceased childhood friend. Dolphin felt a wave of sadness for her, then found himself suddenly awash in an unfamiliar and unwelcome emotion - waves of nostalgia for a lost childhood only a few days passed - his first command - innocent flirting with a pretty young vulcan - riding a giant wave on a surfboard for the first time - staring up at unfamiliar stars from the warm sands of a planet that was not Earth. It all seemed so long ago. It was a lifetime ago.  
       Kenny Dolphin shook his head to dispel the reverie. He wasn’t certain how long he had stood there watching the hallway after T’Lon had departed. He got started moving and ended up in the director’s lounge on deck 4. Neither Carrera nor Shae were there. They almost never were. When he was stationed on the Enterprise, he had a small, isolated stateroom to himself. Dolphin had long preferred a solitary existence.   
       But for the past week, he had shared this space with T’Lok - her endless curiosity, boundless enthusiasm, intelligent conversation had filled this room. It wasn’t a large room but it seemed cavernous and empty without her.

       Dolphin sat on the couch just staring at the door - as if she might just walk in. The door chime startled him - he had never heard it used. He stood up and said, “Enter.”  
      The door opened to reveal Investigator Lynhart Shran. Dolphin was genuinely surprised.  
       “Investigator Shran?”  
       “I can’t stay, Boss. We have a lead and I’m needed upstairs. But I figured you could use this,” Shran walked in and set a heavy shot glass and a captain’s bottle with a crystal cork on the counter next to the replicator. A small amount of thick, navy blue liquid lurked in the bottom of the bottle. “Aldebaran whisky from the lowland marshes of the southern continent - 60 years old - almost as old as I am,” he said. “Drink it slow - this is the good stuff. When you’re done I’d like the bottle and the glass back. They’re hand-blown. The real stuff just tastes better when you keep it and drink it in the real stuff.”  
      Dolphin looked at the bottle with renewed respect - it was a work of art. So was the glass. “Thank you, Mr. Shran.”  
       “Drink it slow,” Shran said, then walked out the door.

      Shran was right - the whisky had wonderful, complex combinations of flavors that kept unfolding as the intoxicating effect took hold. There was only one shot in the bottle. Dolphin sat on the couch, slowly enjoying the drink and catalogued his memories of T’Lok. It made sense to him to try to remember everything about her that he could. He was astounded at how much he had taken her presence for granted - as though they might share this room for years. These were good memories and well worth preserving.  
      Dolphin was lifted from his reverie by the door chiming again. He drained the glass, walked carefully and placed it on the counter next to the bottle, then said, “Enter.”  
      Gaia Gamor stepped into the room carrying a platter with a small amount of food. Behind her, David Pepper squeezed through the doorway. Wonderful smells from the breakfast on the beach filled the room - especially the smoked fish. “I thought you might be hungry,” Gamor said.   
      “I wasn’t, but I’m starving now,” Dolphin said. He called for the Hunter to project a dining table with appropriate seating, sat down at the table and waived for Gaia and Pep to join him. He launched into the miniature buffet with gusto. He hadn’t eaten in days.  
       “Lenny Shran’s Aldebaran Whisky,” Pep observed after sniffing the empty shot glass. “That man has the best taste in everything.”  
       “Mmmm..” Dolphin observed around a mouthful of fish.  
      Gaia Gamor smiled as Dolphin swiftly polished off the food. “I guess I should have brought more.”  
      “No, this was exactly the right amount.”  
      Pep looked around the room. “Kind of empty without her, isn’t it?”  
      “I’ve been remembering her. Everything I can think of. Just a week, but there really was a lot,” Dolphin said, then bit his lip.  
      “About a year ago she had an affair with old Tomos - the vulcan down in engineering,” Pep said.   
      Dolphin was stunned, not about the affair, but that Pep addressed it so casually.  
      “Lasted only a few weeks, but Tomos said it was the most wonderful event in his life. That’s a lot from an old fashioned vulcan. Mate for lifetime type. He washed up here after his wife died - no idea how he was going to go on with life or even if he wanted to. T’Lok made him family.”  
       “She did wonders with her department,” Gaia continued. “She took a box of broken toys and turned them into a close-knit family - an excellent team. You got to know so little about her.”  
       “She was more klingon than vulcan or human,” Pep said. “Completely fearless. She was never afraid to give everything she had and everything she was. She lived every moment like it was her last. She lived more in 27 years than most people could manage in a hundred.” Pep stood up.  
      Dolphin and Gamor also stood up.   
       Pep put his enormous hand on Dolphin’s chest. This odd physical contact seemed omnipresent with this crew - it was very unusual for Star Fleet officers to touch each other this way - except on this boat. Dolphin had grown used to it - even started to enjoy it, but he was still far too inhibited to return the gesture. He was the product of generations of New England WASPs - casual physical contact was not part of the culture he had been raised in.  
      “Don’t mourn for her, Kenny. She had an amazing life. Mourn for us that we lost her,” Pep said. He stepped back and picked up the bottle and glass. “I’ll take these back to Lenny for you,” he said, then turned to leave.   
      Gaia Gamor placed her hand on Dolphin’s chest, smiled and said, “Good night, Director,” then followed Pep out the door.

      A few hours later, Dolphin was awakened by someone knocking on the door of his escape/sleeping pod. He preferred to sleep naked - so he wrapped a sheet around himself, then touched the control panel that unsealed and opened the pod door. Through the dark, translucent window, he could see someone step to the side of the door. Dolphin started to emerge from the pod. T’Lon pressed him back into the pod, joining him and closed the pod door.  
       “I’m cold,” she said.  
      Without thinking, Dolphin opened the sheet, then responded strongly as he felt her skin pressing against his. “Are we about to do something we will need to disclose?” he asked, awkwardly.  
       T’Lon pressed her cheek next to his, covering part of his face with her hair and whispered softly in his ear: “That is my intention.”

4  Run To Earth

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. T'Lok Smith  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. Tauk   
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
         Ensign T'Lon   
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	39. Episode 5.1 - The Fires of Pon Farr: Kauai Island, Hawaii; Providence, Rhode Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The U.S.S. Hunter's crew attends T'Lok's funeral in her native Hawaii. 
> 
> T'Lon and Kenny Dolphin retreat to Providence, Rhode Island. Dolphin reconnects with his youngest daughter, Starlight.
> 
>  _Dolphin realized he was almost lecturing, but Starlight was actually listening intently for the first time and he wanted her to understand this. “Suddenly humans became available as sex objects for lonely, stranded, spacebound, desperately horny vulcans...”_
> 
> _“Humans are different. We’re always in heat. Vulcans quickly discovered that having a willing human sex partner during Pon Farr made it a much easier time for them. Vulcan customs prohibit it, but they’re all doing it anyway. With the predictable result that in every generation, vulcan/human hybrid births vastly outnumber vulcan births..."_

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 1 - Kauai Island, Hawaii; Providence, Rhode Island

5 - The Fires of Pon Farr

_“I think everyone who knew the late T’Lok Smith would say she was the best of us. It almost seems inevitable that our species are merging. And if the result is more people like her, we will all be the better for it.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin, Interview on Subspace Radio Ivonovic._

5.1  
Kauai Island, Hawaii; Providence, Rhode Island  

 A steady drizzle gradually soaked the grass and dripped from the fronds of giant palm trees. Behind the Smith estate on Kauai Island, great ridged mountains, partly covered with trees arose like gigantic red and green cathedrals. On the bright orange sand the Hunter’s crew, the Smith family and a few other Hawaiians and vulcans were gathered. There was no chanting.  
 The clouds gradually lifted and the drizzle cleared away. The morning sun made the Pacific Ocean sparkle with a million colors. Members of the Hunter’s crew, the Smith family and various friends paddled out into the becalmed ocean, some on surfboards, most in outriggers. Dr. George Smith, a retired music professor, sat behind his wife, Ev’Lon, an elderly vulcan woman, in an outrigger. Their sons, seated in front and behind them, appeared to be a blend of their father’s native Hawaiian looks and their mother’s strongly vulcan features. They paddled out with the rest, forming a ring of surfboards and small boats. Somehow, they managed to join hands until a great, unbroken ring was formed in the calm waters. Stories were passed around the circle, then T’Lok’s brothers rowed her parents into the center of the ring, where her mother and father, each holding one handle of the urn that contained her ashes, gradually poured her remains out, onto the water.  
 George Smith raised his voice, speaking so that everyone could hear him - his strong Hawaiian accent: “This is the place that she loved and this is the place she will remain. To you gathered here, you are now her legacy. May your lives be filled with love and joy as her life was. May you fill the lives of everyone around you with love and joy as she did.” His voice cracked and he was unable to go on. Quietly, so that only those close to him could hear, he said, “Aloha, my daughter…” His wife placed her hand on his arm and quietly echoed, “Aloha, my T’Lok.”  
 Dr. Smith regained his composure and found his voice again. “This is not a moment for sadness. This is a moment for joy. Her voice is now this ocean’s voice. Listen to her. She is calling you to a life of love and joy. If you make that your life, if you fill your life with love and joy, as she did, you will, as she did, bring that love and joy to the lives around you.” He paused to regain his composure again, then managed, “And this world will be better because you were here.”  
 Each outrigger contained bundles of flower petals and those with surf boards had brought many leis. T’Lok’s brothers began spreading flower petals over her ashes as they swirled and sank into the clear waters. Within minutes the area had become a giant ring of flower petals and leis, before the people gathered broke ranks and made their way back to shore, skirting the circle to avoid disturbing the brightly colored arrangement floating in the waves.

 “Dad?”

 The aching beauty of Kauai Island and T’Lok’s funeral were suddenly replaced by stark white walls. Rain pattered on simple windows. “Starlight?” Kenny Dolphin asked of the young blonde woman in front of him - a concerned expression on her face. He blinked hard a few times.  
 The young woman sat back down.  
 “This is now. This is where I am now,” Dolphin said, blinking again. His mind was a mess. The blonde and gray stubble on his face had grown into something between stubble and a beard.  
 “Are you okay?” the young woman asked, looking even more concerned.  
 “I will be,” he responded. “Just keep talking to me. I need to anchor myself.”  
 “Anchor yourself?”  
 “In time…” He responded, his voice trailing off, then, “Where is T’Lon?”  
 A bitter expression crossed the young woman’s face. “You mean your vulcan girlfriend?”  
 “I suppose you could say that. There really isn’t a word for this type of relationship,” Dolphin responded.  
  “She’s upstairs. I think she’s a little crazy. I really don’t want to know,” Dolphin’s daughter responded. Then, almost immediately she stood up and started pacing: “No, that’s not true, I do want to know. I mean, don’t you think it’s extremely hypocritical of you? Getting on everyone about interspecies mating and then being with that, that teenager?”  
 “T’Lon is older than you are. She’s older than River. Where is River?”  
 “Probably as far from here as she could get, if she knew you were here.” Starlight sighed and sat back down. “She’s in New York. With Mom and Da.. With Mom and Charles.”  
 “This is Providence,” Dolphin mused, then caught another concerned look from his younger daughter. “You never actually read my dissertation, did you? Or my books - either of them?” Dolphin didn’t need an answer, her expression made it clear she hadn’t. “Everyone thinks they know what I think. They all have copies of what I wrote. But no one actually listens to what I said. No one actually reads what I wrote. They think they know me based on what other people say about something I wrote nearly 15 years ago.” He suddenly saw a 7-year old girl in front of him with tears in her eyes. A 6-year old girl with stars in her eyes.  
 “Starlight,” he said quietly to himself.  
  “Why did you name me that?” she asked. “Starlight Dolphin. River Dolphin. Why not normal names?”  
 “It’s why I wanted to be a pilot. Only two weeks ago…” Dolphin’s hand strayed to his new beard… “or was it three - I was laying in the sand on another world, looking up at the stars. So beautiful, so peaceful,” He mused, almost to himself. “My favorite thing in the universe,” he said softly, eyes unfocused. “Starlight.”  
His daughter caught her breath.  
  Dolphin focused on his daughter again, answering her other question. “She’s in pain, Starlight. Terribly afraid and alone. This is amok time for her. The fires of Pon Farr, the seven-year vulcan heat cycle. It brings madness. This is her first time to go through it. And she just lost her childhood friend - we buried her in Hawaii. Vulcans pay a terrible price for their famous emotional self-control. The same thing that made their amazing culture possible also made them a dying race. When they made first contact with us, they numbered about four billion. There are less than two billion of them now. In a thousand years, they will be gone. Somewhere deep inside they know that and it makes their heat cycle that much more desperate.”  
 “I don’t understand. I thought you said humans interbreeding with vulcans was making them go extinct,” Starlight said.  
 “That is not what I said. You really should try actually reading my books. We aren’t causing their extinction. We’re hastening it. Until they encountered humans, the idea of having sex with another species was beyond imagination for vulcans. For most other humanoid species we have encountered as well. Most of them have normal heat cycles between 6 months and a year. But their cultures require them to mate for life, so if their mate’s heat cycle doesn’t match, they are less likely to have children. In their natural state, mates on the same heat cycle would find each other. But with culture that becomes problematic - vulcans betrothe at birth or very young for political reasons and they often end up with mismatched cycles. Which leads to low birthrates and often shortened lifespans, suicide…”  
 Dolphin realized he was almost lecturing, but Starlight was actually listening intently for the first time and he wanted her to understand this. “Suddenly humans became available as sex objects for lonely, stranded, spacebound, desperately horny vulcans.”  
 Starlight actually laughed.  
 Kenny Dolphin smiled - for the first time in ages it felt like. “Humans are different. We’re always in heat. Vulcans quickly discovered that having a willing human sex partner during Pon Farr made it a much easier time for them. Vulcan customs prohibit it, but they’re all doing it anyway. With the predictable result that in every generation, vulcan/human hybrid births vastly outnumber vulcan births. In a hundred years there will be more hybrids than vulcans.”  
 “We aren’t making them go extinct. We’re their only hope for survival. In a thousand years or less, we will essentially become one species,” Dolphin concluded.  
  Starlight took a moment to digest all of this, then focused on her father. “So now you’ve become a sex object for a vulcan teenager?” she asked incredulously.  
 Dolphin laughed, but there was a bitter edge to it. “I should have seen it coming. Hell, I wrote about it. They were grooming me from the moment I set foot on that boat. My first officer even warned me about it, in an oblique sort of way. I blundered right into it. I don’t know if I’m strong enough for this.”

5.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Dr. George Smith (George)  
> Human Ethnicity: Hawaiian  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Kawai Island, Hawaii, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.1  
> Age when introduced: 68  
> Role: Retired Music Professor
> 
> Character: Dr. Ev’Lon Smith (Ev’Lon)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Fort Aba’Kur, Vulcan  
> Introduced: Episode 5.1  
> Age when introduced: 151  
> Role: Biologist
> 
> Character: Dr. Vuk Smith (Vuk)  
> Human Ethnicity: Hawaiian  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Kawai Island, Hawaii, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.1  
> Age when introduced: 32  
> Role: Biologist
> 
> Character: Dr. Surrol Smith (Surrol)  
> Human Ethnicity: Hawaiian  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Kawai Island, Hawaii, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.1  
> Age when introduced: 30  
> Role: Biologist
> 
> Character: Starlight Dolphin (Starlight)  
> Human Ethnicity: German American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Boston, Massachusetts, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.1  
> Age when introduced: 21  
> Role: Art Student


	40. Episode 5.2 - The Fires of Pon Farr: Nairobi, Kenya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A group of the Hunter's officers travel to the capital city of the Federation to obtain needed resources for their upcoming battle with the Breakfast Killer.
> 
>  
> 
> _Earth had become the fabled paradise of the Federation and if Africa, the cradle of mankind, was its greatest treasure, Nairobi was the crown jewel of the Federation..._

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 2 - Nairobi, Kenya

5.2  
Nairobi, Kenya

 David Pepper was needed on another continent. Mlady and Dr. Tali Shae were with him, along with Ethan Phillips, piloting them in the wagon. Gaia Gamor came along as well, fresh from visiting her family in Ingende, deep in the rainforest of Congo. Air routes over Africa were very heavily regulated and enforced. But the wagon’s sensors made it possible for its passengers to view large segments of the continent. Gaia was using a large display in the rear of the flight booth to provide sweeping views of pristine wilderness, carefully tended farmland and teaming cities, speaking like an excited tour guide. Phillips, although part African American, had been raised on Vulcan. This was his first time to visit Africa. He interrupted Gamor with a single word, “Nairobi.”

             Various departments of the United Federation of Planets were scattered in cities all over Earth, the unquestioned capital and home of the UFP. Star Fleet Academy was in San Francisco, but Star Fleet headquarters had been relocated to Dubuque, Iowa. Most of the Federation offices were in Nairobi, Kenya, which also hosted the United Earth Congress. Earth had become the fabled paradise of the Federation and if Africa, the cradle of mankind, was its greatest treasure, Nairobi was the crown jewel of the Federation. From the sky the city looked like a great forest with giant buildings carrying shrubbery and flowers high above the trees. The city’s economy was so vital, stable and omnipresent that many of its citizens didn’t even realize it had one.  
 As the wagon joined a curving path of incoming aircraft and shuttles, its passengers were treated to views of towering buildings with gardens on balconies and rooftops, vast city parks, and rows of residences that looked more like collections of gardens than collections of buildings. A closer view revealed a city on the move like an ant colony - teaming millions of people bent on their individual destinations, making use of hundreds of thousands of bicycles, but predominantly traveling on foot. Gone were the vast paved highways of the 21st Century, replaced by elevated railways that connected city to city and to the farms in between.   
  This was the African miracle that had allowed the continent to more than double the area reserved for primal and reclaimed wilderness at the same time that its population exploded from one billion to more than six billion - while allowing its burgeoning human population to live in much greater comfort and economic stability than at any time in human history.

             In the midst of this vast and diverse population, Pep stood out in much the same way an elephant might stand out among a herd of horses. There were a few men almost as tall, but no one anywhere near as big. Ethan couldn’t get enough of his first views of the capital city from the streets. Gaia had spent her last year at university in Nairobi and felt quite at home. Tali Shae also felt comfortable in these crowds as Nairobi was not only a capital city, but a space port, home to large populations of non-humans and the antennae and white-blue skin of other andorians could be seen among the human throng - most of them, like Dr. Tali Shae herself, carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the mid-day African sun.   
 Mlady hated crowds and remained close to Pep and Tali Shae, keeping her tiny figure effectively hidden. While the others were walking in a sea of people, Mlady, so much shorter than her tall companions, was walking in a dense forest of legs. It made her nervous. She had to call on a reserve of self-control to keep her claws from becoming exposed.   
 It was a twenty minute walk from the shuttle port to the governmental center that had brought them here. They found themselves looking at one of Nairobi’s many green skyscrapers - this one with a blend of vulcan and antique Romanesque architectural features distinctive of UFP office buildings. Emblazoned in large, neo-classic letters: Non-Localized Communication Studies.

5.2


	41. Episode 5.3 - The Fires of Pon Farr: Pichilemu, Chile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With an impossible engineering problem to solve and an impossibly short deadline, Engineering Director Dr. Carrera takes his staff surfing in his hometown of Pichilemu, Chile...
> 
> _"I think he's finally snapped," Dr. Moon Sun Salek observed, her eyes just a bit wide. The fact that even the assistant director of engineering, who had worked with Dr. Carrera longer than anyone, thought their director might have actually gone goofy, was of no comfort the rest of his staff..._  
> 
> _Gamely, one by one, and in no small part because Carrera had never yet led them astray, first Dr. Moon, then Ensign Sun, then flight engineers Tomos, Kerry Gibbon, Yolanda Thomas and Thomas Hobbs picked up their boards and followed their director into the surf._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "gone goofy" is a pun - Dr. Carrera surfs goofy foot...
> 
> While his staff worry about Dr. Carrera trying to act like a vulcan, the reader might notice that's not how I'm writing him. Eventually I will let slip that he went through a vulcan "phase" in his pre-pubescence (and Dr. Moon, Thomas Hobbs, Yolanda Thomas and Kerry Gibbon have been working for him that long - the team that built the Hunter.) They just haven't adjusted to the fact at age 23 he's not only all grown up, but more mature than most people twice his age... And still an unparalleled genius. I hope this chapter reveals his tremendous leadership ability. Especially in light of what will be revealed about him in Episode 6...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 3 - Pichilemu, Chile

5.3  
Pichilemu, Chile

 The U.S.S. Hunter was undergoing upgrades at the Utopia Planitia shipyards, in orbit of Mars. Lt. Tauk had requested that the boat's computer be upgraded in order to process an almost astronomical amount of data. Investigator Shran had requested an additional and very unorthodox weapon to be added to the already formidable arsenal on the Hunter's tactical unit.  
 In order to accommodate the mass balancing program developed by Flight Engineer Tomos, several cargo bays were being redesigned for ballast storage. Calculations for the amount of ballast required for the boat would also need to take into account the possibility of adding prisoners to all of the brig units simultaneously.  
  Additionally, results from the Hunter's first successful flight in recursive warp mode had identified several weaknesses in the main nacelle underneath and the twin nacelles of the tactical unit. Without a complete overhaul, these weaknesses could cause the nacelles to fail catastrophically at high warp with results far worse than just the destruction of the boat with all hands. Additional armor was being added to vulnerable sections, including deck 5, in hopes of decreasing the chance of another hull breach during combat.  
 All of these modifications would result with a considerable increase in mass for the Hunter, which meant the zip drive calculations that had brought the Hunter to Earth would have to be scrapped and new equations started from scratch. Additional operational requirements from Commander Pepper specified that additional calculations be prepared for the Hunter's platform and tactical units to enter zip drive separately and for the Hunter to be able to maintain zip drive while launching the wagon (and losing its mass) and independently launching the interceptors and the tactical unit.  
 This increased the number of separate zip-drive calculations from just one to thirteen. It also required mass stabilization standards for the tactical unit, the wagon and each of the interceptors.   
  And the whole package had to be ready in five days.

             So Dr. Sarekson Carrera took his engineering department surfing.

             On the beach of Carrera's hometown of Pichilemu, Chile a small crowd of nervous engineers watched, entirely mystified as their young director paddled his board out into the surf, seemingly oblivious to the impossible mathematical and engineering task before them and its even more impossible deadline. He had required all of the flight engineers to be present, leaving only the transporter engineers, headed by Midshipman Tammy Brazil, to supervise the Hunter's retrofits at the Utopia Planitia shipyards more than 140 million miles away in orbit of Mars.   
 Not only were the flight engineers ordered to be on the beach, out of uniform, and, specifically required to take at least three rides on the waves before midafternoon, their Quixotic director had also strictly forbidden them from discussing the boat's ongoing upgrades, the impending deadline for the required calculations or anything mathematical in general unless it directly related to surfing.  
 "I think he's finally snapped," Dr. Moon Sun Salek observed, her eyes just a bit wide. The fact that even the assistant director of engineering, who had worked with Dr. Carrera longer than anyone, thought their director might have actually gone goofy, was of no comfort the rest of his staff.  
  The order to go surfing did not present any particular difficulty as under Carrera's expert tutelage, everyone in the engineering department, including 100-year-old Tomos, had become at least competent, if not expert on a surfboard.  
 Gamely, one by one, and in no small part because Carrera had never yet led them astray, first Dr. Moon, then Ensign Sun, then flight engineers Tomos, Kerry Gibbon, Yolanda Thomas and Thomas Hobbs picked up their boards and followed their director into the surf.  
  Four hours later, the team were tearing hungrily into bowls of chupe de jaiba and washing it down with Mungku beer. The beach was crowded, but the Hunter's engineering team were located on a small promontory from which they could see nearly the entire beach and they were enjoying an authorized wood fire. Evidently Dr. Carrera knew somebody who knew somebody - very few fire pits were allowed on the beach. The insurmountable problems and insane mathematics involved in getting the Hunter into zip drive under a wide variety of conditions seemed 100 million miles away. In fact, they were almost 149 million miles away, in orbit of Mars.

             "Ensign Sun," Carrara started, "I've been re-reading your proposed dissertation. I think the time has come for you to resubmit it."  
 Sun raised an eyebrow. "Most of my committee were in favor of it, but Dr. Bowman said that the physics of my theory could not be tested and that I should re-apply to the school of Philosophy.”  
  "And he was correct, if a little unfair," Carrera said. "Even Professor Crumar thought your work was more than sufficient to be accepted by the Daystrom Institute, much less the University of Chile."  
 Sun took a breath. "Unfortunately, it would be disingenuous for me to attempt to resubmit through Daystrom..."  
 "I wasn't finished," Carrera interrupted. "Professor Crumar and I had a little talk with Dr. Bowman. He was right.. Until three days ago. Once the Hunter successfully entered recursive warp mode, it was possible to test your theory. In fact, it was helpful in identifying weaknesses within the recursive warp field. Those findings are being used right now in the modification of the Hunter's warp nacelles. I have gone so far as to recommend that the specific repairs we developed for the main nacelle be officially named the Sun Retrofits. You still have time to resubmit your dissertation this evening."  
 Dr. Carrera handed a communications pad to Sun. "Specifically, you have fifteen minutes. I estimate the entire process will take twenty seven seconds."  
 Ensign Sun Ho Hui took the communications pad, almost scuttled back to his seat and hunched over it.  
 Carrera continued. "Of course, Dr. Bowman will receive credit for discovering your talent, encouraging your work and mentoring you and you will not dispute his claims. In light of the notoriety your breakthrough work will bring to the University and especially to their Warp Field Theory department, Dr. Bowman plans to present you with your degree during a special hooding ceremony at the extension campus in Talco tomorrow afternoon. May I be the first to say, congratulations, Dr. Sun."  
  "I have completed my resubmission. But I wonder," Sun began, "and not to be ungrateful, whether I have my theories to thank or your intervention."  
 "Then you weren't listening to what I said about Professor Crumar. Neither he, nor I would have intervened if your dissertation did not merit it. Humans play games, Hui. You have to know the game in order to win at it. Dr. Bowman knew quite well that your theory was sound and that you deserved your Ph.D. But he was not about to just hand it over to you because he also knows who you work for. By holding out, Bowman put himself in a position to gain from final acceptance by posing as your mentor and sponsor and to wring other concessions from me and Professor Crumar. And you will play this game if you are wise."  
 "It hardly seems logical," Sun Ho Hui protested.  
 "It is coldly logical," Carrera countered. "The cold logic of personal gain. But that personal gain will also bring new resources and notoriety to the University and its theoretical and applied physics divisions. Which will benefit future students. So you will fake a smile, shake the man's hand, and prepare yourself for a future that includes Dr. Bowman. But don't you ever trust the man. Not for one second." 

 Carrera turned to the rest of his staff. “Churros?”   
 Almost as if by magic, he produced a platter from a low table behind his chair.

             In the aftermath of the churros and the spicy chocolate cinnamon dipping sauce that came with them, Dr. Moon addressed the question still burning in everyone's minds. "Can we finally talk about those calculations?"  
  Dr. Carrera looked at Dr. Moon for a very long time, slowly, dramatically raising one eyebrow. Even though she was a quarter vulcan, Moon did not have the emotional reserve of Tomos or Sun or even Carrera - the moment stretched out forever. She was simply astonished when her director smiled. Carrera never smiled.  
 "I knew you couldn't do it," Dr. Carrera said. He took a deep breath, released it, then said, "Okay, just so you can all relax and actually get some sleep tonight, I will tell you this much. When Pep gave me all those permutations I realized there was no way we could develop all those equations in five days. We couldn't do it in five months if we were to use all the mathematicians at the Daystrom institute. So I lied. I told Pep we would get it done and I gave up."  
 "That's the important part," Carrera continued. "I just gave up. I just stopped trying to solve the problem. That's when it came to me - and I have Tomos to thank for it. We've been going about this the wrong way. We've been trying to make the math work for the ship's mass."  
 He paused. His engineers just stared at him. Only Tomos, the old vulcan librarian who had the least engineering experience and education, seemed to have a dawning understanding. "So we're not going to do that. Instead of making the math work for the mass, we're going to make the mass work for the math. There's a sweet spot. I can see it. It's so elegant it will make you cry. Not just thirteen permutations - twenty eight permutations. And I can express every one of them in 100 characters or less."  
  Dr. Moon boggled at him. "The equation that got us to Earth was almost 1,200 characters.."  
 "I told you," Carrera replied, "so elegant it will make you cry. I have it all in here." Carrera held up the communications pad he had retrieved from Ensign Sun. "All 28 permutations. So what we have now isn't an insurmountable series of math problems. Tuning the engines to get Hunter into zip drive will take minutes. What we have is a series of entirely manageable logistics problems - balancing the mass as needed for each of the available permutations. We can easily get that done in four days. We will probably have it done in two. So drink another Mungku and let's talk about family or surfing or anything except engineering. We'll go over the equations in the morning and start work on the Hunter once Dr. Sun is officially hooded."

5.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon (Kerry)  
> Human Ethnicity: Indian  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Bangalore, India, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.3  
> Age when introduced: 18  
> Role: Flight Engineer, U.S.S. Hunter
> 
> Character: Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas (Yolanda)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: Vulcan, Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Chickasha, Oklahoma, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.3  
> Age when introduced: 27  
> Role: Flight Engineer, U.S.S. Hunter


	42. Episode 5.4 - The Fires of Pon Farr: On The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lt. Tauk challenges his investigators to a foot race...
> 
> _"Are you insane??" she was almost shaking with rage. "No running in the hall!!"_   
>  _"I didn't see a sign..." Lt. Tauk started._   
>  _"You shouldn't need a sign!!..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How does a math genius beat a track star in a foot race? Start by choosing a low-gravity race track...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 4 - On The Moon

5.4  
On The Moon

 Lt. Tauk was on the moon. For the first time ever, he had challenged his investigators to a foot race - a 200 meter sprint. This was in part out of boredom and in part mischief. He, Shran and Buttons had gone to the Star Fleet Intelligence center on the moon in hopes of furthering the research they had started on the Hunter, only to hit a series of brick walls - or more specifically, legal obstacles involving privacy rights of citizens.  
 If he had been dealing with the Consumer Studies Division on Ferenginar, Tauk knew whom to bribe and how much to provide each official. But this was the Federation and access to the data he needed could only be obtained by Justice Irons and from the increasingly astounded looks Tauk was receiving as he described the data he would need for his investigation, Irons was going to have to pull off a miracle of legal wrangling, bureaucratic navigation and general arm-twisting.  
  Belo Cantys and Belo Garr had also accompanied them and had both also agreed to the foot race. Belo Rys and Jarrong were in Rhode Island, looking after T'Lon and Dr. Dolphin - both of whom seemed to still need considerable looking after following their brush with death in the escape from Ocean.

 "So you get to specify the conditions of the race..." Buttons Ngumbo was understandably rather suspicious of the ground operations acting director. "Those don't involve tying my hands behind my back?"  
 "Under normal conditions, you would win anyway," said Tauk, smiling. "No, we will all have the same limitations. This is just a normal foot race... From here... To the data storage center entrance." Tauk pointed to a separate building, located about 200 meters away, connected by a hallway.  
  On the door leading into this hallway was a sign emblazoned: Caution - No Artificial Gravity In Corridor.  
 Investigator Lynhart Shran laughed, then said, "You're on, Boss."

 For the first time in his life, Investigator Buttons Ngumbo was at a serious disadvantage in a foot race. He took one step and slammed hard against the ceiling of the corridor. Shran fared considerably better. He had been trained in zero G and low G combat (if long ago) and managed to navigate the corridor in more controlled leaps.  
 But this was a race between the ferengi and the two tactical specialists. Belo Garr and Belo Cantys had both had extensive training in low G combat and with more controlled, smaller leaps swiftly passed the old veteran.  
 Tauk's strategy involved using his hands as well as his feet. His first leap carried him not only forward but diagonally toward one of the walls. He twisted as he travelled forward and his next step was against the wall, propelling him forward, upward toward the ceiling and toward the other wall. He slapped the ceiling with his hand, helping to twist his small body - significantly smaller and lighter than the Belo siblings - into a full turn, allowing his next step to be against the other wall. This caught him up with the siblings, who were running in more or less a straight line. He slapped the floor and took his next step against the other wall.  
  By maintaining this bizarre, zig-zag tumbling pattern, he was able to make contact with a surface far more often than the runners, accelerating with each contact until he slammed into the door at the end of the hall, grasping the handles to keep himself from being propelled back into the corridor.  
 When Buttons finally made it, laughing, to the end of the hall, he said, "I'm not sure that counts as a foot race. You were using your hands."  
  Tauk smiled mischievously. "Be glad you didn't bet anything on this. You were using your hands too. You must have hit the ceiling at least four times."  
 Shran had to take a few minutes to cough and wheeze before the group made their way back to the central operations center, only to find a scandalized ensign in a blue uniform waiting for them.  
 "Are you insane??" she was almost shaking with rage. "No running in the hall!!"  
 "I didn't see a sign..." Lt. Tauk started.  
 "You shouldn't need a sign!! Were you trying to kill yourselves in there? Next time you want a foot race in moon grav, put on an EVA suit and do it outside!!!" The outraged ensign threw her hands up and stormed off, seething disgust.  
 Lt. Tauk turned back toward his team with a rueful grin, only to be met with poorly concealed laughter. Shran was red-faced and in tears, hardly able to breathe.  
 "I could rig a hall monitor for them if they're so concerned about running..." Belo Garr observed dryly.  
 "What on earth was that strategy, anyway?" Ngumbo asked.  
  "Nothing on Earth," Garr quipped.  
 "Applied mathematics," Tauk said. "I had that hallway measured out long before we started. I could have told you exactly where you were going to hit the ceiling. The only thing I didn't take into account was how well Shran was going to do, but I should have figured. As many battlefields as you hit, you must have hit space a lot."  
 "I've put on an EVA suit and fought on a few moons." Shran said. "If I were 20 years younger I might have given you a run for your money. Math you say? So you knew every step you were going to take?"  
 "Every step, every slap. That was the easy part. The hard part was making my body do it," Tauk said.  
 "Remind me never to play billiards with you," said Shran.  
  "Billiards?" Tauk asked, innocently. "What's billiards?"  
 "Not a chance, Boss..."

5.4


	43. Episode 5.5 - The Fires of Pon Farr: St. Petersburg, Russia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justice Minerva Irons visits one of the three Chief Justices of the Federation Tribunal... He also holds another important leadership position...
> 
> _“Sorrows of empire. That’s why I recruited you, Julian,” Minerva Irons had a serious look. “After nearly 300 years, the Federation is about to face the gravest threat in its history - itself.”_  
>  _“I do wish you wouldn’t speak in riddles, Minerva,” Julian Bashir responded. “Is it true that you put Dr. Kenny Dolphin on your crew? I didn’t even know he had found his way into Star Fleet.”_  
>  _“I intend to recruit him.” Irons replied. “I think you can imagine the value he would bring.”_  
>  _“I shudder at the prospect, actually,” Bashir responded..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we get to catch up with Dr. Julian Bashir - or I should say Chief Justice Bashir... You may recall he allowed himself to be recruited into Section 31. He didn't stop there...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 5 - St. Petersburg, Russia

5.5  
St. Petersburg, Russia

 Chief Guth was having fun, unexpectedly. Justice Irons was riding second seat in the interceptor and had asked him to show her what the craft could do. They jumped out to Minerva, the farthest flung planet in Earth’s solar system and the Justice’s namesake. Then to Mercury and finally, after a whirlwind tour of the planets and a few other unique locations in the solar system, to the home of the Federation Tribunal, the Interplanetary Center for Justice in St. Petersburg, Russia.  
 The Justice Center accepted very few interceptors - flying in that airspace required special permits that could only be granted at the highest levels. Landing an interceptor in front of the most consequential building in the Alpha Quadrant - that was a unique experience for Guth. Justice Irons patted the top of his head as she managed to clamber with some difficulty out of the cockpit - her right hand still in a splint.  
 Guth smiled - Irons had decided some very important cases and had become a folk hero to hybrid trills. Of course those precedents were challenged on the basis of her own trill ancestry, but all of her decisions were upheld at the highest level - and those decisions had been made in this building.  
 Planetary home rule had its limits for Federation member worlds.

             “Chief, I hate to ask, but I may need to leave in a hurry. Please stay close to your bird,” Irons said.   
 “Aye, your honor,” the chief responded. His attention suddenly shifted to the person waiting for Justice Irons. “Is that…”  
 “Yes, Chief. Alas, we do not have time for introductions,” Irons smiled and walked toward the robed man standing on the steps of the ICJ.   
  Under the Federation Charter, the Tribunal was headed by three chief justices, representing the three founding races of the federation: human, vulcan, andorian. These three together constituted the final arbiter of Federation Law. They were rarely called on to make such decisions or to be more precise, they very rarely accepted appeals from the general tribunal. The human chief justice - the most recently confirmed of the three - was waiting for Justice Irons.  
 Chief Guth was astounded to see his captain storm straight up to the chief justice and start poking him in the chest, gesturing and talking excitedly. The supreme magistrate laughed and retreated backward in front of this onslaught. Within a moment he whirled and led Irons in through the cavernous front door of the Interplanetary Center for Justice.

             “All right, all right,” Chief Justice Bashir was still laughing. He was a small man evidently of Middle Eastern origin, but with a strong British accent. “We knew there was no other way for us to get to Ivonovic without calling his hand on his homecourt. And your team was probably the only one that could pull it off.” Bashir’s expression turned serious. “But we paid too high a price to learn about his cardassian connection.”  
 “We could end up paying a far higher price,” Irons responded. “That cardassian battlecruiser is still out there. I warned the Challenger. But the battlecruiser has an enormous advantage. We only escaped because of the zip drive. Something other Star Fleet vessels don’t have - yet.”  
  “Admiral Stewart has dispatched a couple of escort class vessels to rendezvous with Challenger. That should even the odds. Star Fleet wasn’t thrilled about investing so much in escort class ships, but they become more vital and useful all the time. Your boat, although smaller, will probably take even more resources given the new drive system.”  
 “Sorrows of empire. That’s why I recruited you, Julian,” Minerva Irons had a serious look. “After nearly 300 years, the Federation is about to face the gravest threat in its history - itself.”  
 “I do wish you wouldn’t speak in riddles, Minerva,” Julian Bashir responded. “Is it true that you put Dr. Kenny Dolphin on your crew? I didn’t even know he had found his way into Star Fleet.”  
 “I intend to recruit him.” Irons replied. “I think you can imagine the value he would bring.”  
 “I shudder at the prospect, actually,” Bashir responded. “And before you start, I did actually read his work. He’s brilliant and he’s right. My concern is that he was so casual about its publication. He should have known the firestorm he was about to touch off. Can you trust his judgment after a blunder like that?”  
 “He is a surprisingly talented officer and by all accounts a gifted pilot,” Irons said. “But his personal life is a disaster - I suppose that makes him a classic candidate for a career in Star Fleet. So, in answer to your question, it depends on the situation. He would need managing. But I’m not thinking of a role like yours or mine. Something much more specific. A tool to be used at just the right moment for just the right purpose. Not a caller of shots.”  
 “I have a hard time being as clinical about this business as you, Minerva.” Bashir actually shuddered.  
  Minerva Irons smiled. “That is precisely why we need you at the top, Julian. Slade was right. In times like these when you’re tempted to skirt the rules at every turn, we simply must have someone of your character making the final decisions about when it’s truly warranted.”  
 Julian Bashir bit his lip and looked down for a moment. Then: “How many of us on your boat?”  
 “With Dolphin, it would be four.”  
 “That’s a rather high concentration.”  
  “It is needed,” Irons concluded. “By the way, I need you to clear a records request so that my Lieutenant Tauk and his team can complete their investigation.”  
 “You’re asking me in person, which means I take it that this is one of those tough calls you were mentioning?” Bashir’s eyebrows were raised.  
 “Not much, really. We just need all the complete transporter transcripts for all Star Fleet vessels operating on the Romulan border, around Deep Space 9 and near Star Base 11 for the past five years. As well as the full transcripts for transporters on private and commercial vessels operating in the same areas. We also need complete medical histories of every person on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, the U.S.S. Vox, the U.S.S. Challenger and Deep Space 9 - again for the past five years.”  
 Bashir’s eyes kept getting wider as Irons’ records request went from completely unacceptable to beyond belief. “What.. Wait…” Bashir stammered, then managed, “What on earth do you need all that data for? I’m not certain if there is any way I can grant that request.”  
 “How’s Ezri - has she given birth?” Irons asked unexpectedly.  
 “She’s fine and yes, we now have a Jodiah Bashir,” Julian answered.  
 Justice Irons ran her fingers across the left side of her head, which she kept shaved to display the faint spots that marked her own trill heritage. “And does he have spots?”  
  “Not as dark as Ezri’s,” Bashir mused, “but darker than yours.”  
 “And just how badly do you want to catch the Breakfast Killer?” Irons asked. “Strip the names and use demographic identifiers.”  
 Bashir put up his hand and shook his head. “Demographic has become a dirty word these days. I would have an easier time just directly transferring individually identified information.”  
 It was Justice Irons’ turn to be surprised. “Everyone loves demographics - foundation of planning. What’s going on?”  
 “Population statistics have been getting harder to obtain.” Bashir responded. “Those numbers hold a secret someone doesn’t want anyone to know about. Okay - I’ll come up with something. But I want you to use that information to find out what has someone so alarmed.”

5.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Chief Justice Julian Bashir (Julian)  
> Human Ethnicity: Arabic  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Mumbai, India, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.5  
> Age when introduced: 43  
> Role: Human Chief Justice of the Federation Tribunal; Director of Section 31


	44. Episode 5.6 - The Fires of Pon Farr: Ivonovic Trapped - Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Governor Emory Ivonovic is a guest aboard an alien starship. But the door to his stateroom locks on the outside...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ivonovic is a pivotal character in this story. So we have to touch base with him on occasion and see how he is doing. Not all that great, at the moment...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 6 - Ivonovic Trapped - Again

5.6  
Ivonovic Trapped - Again

 Governor Emory Ivonovic paced in yet another cell. Actually, this one was a stateroom and very opulently adorned. But the visual splendor of the room was its only redeeming feature. There was a lot to dislike about it - starting with the locked door. The bed was hard and lumpy. The chairs were hard and shaped almost exactly wrong for the human body. The food smelled awful and even the water was brackish. There was no shower - apparently he was expected to rub his body with a variety of rather grim looking oils. Ivonovic didn’t bother to unstopper the oil bottles - he had a fair idea already what they would smell like - bad.  
 Worse yet, the room was about 5 degrees Celsius too warm for comfort.  
 It was hardly surprising these people didn’t trust him. He never trusted them. But he could do business with them. Hopefully the value of his business and the amount of business he could bring would be enough to ensure his safe delivery to his supporters.

5.6


	45. Episode 5.7 - The Fires of Pon Farr: Malloriah Urh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pep has recruited a powerful betazoid to help with the hunt for the telepathically endowed Breakfast Killer #2 (BK2).
> 
> _"...You need to get ready for a deluge of disclosures because your crew are going to be screwing like squirrels...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta readers quickly fell in love with Mallory.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 7 - Malloriah Uhr

5.7  
Malloriah Uhr

  With the Hunter’s upgrades complete and the recursive warp programming ready two days ahead of schedule, the crew had been recalled from Earth to Mars. The wagon had been dispatched back to Earth to pick up the last group from North America.  
               Pep, Mlady, Dr. Tali Shae, Dr. Carrera and Tauk were seated at the antique teak table in the executive conference room. Another person sat across from them - a small, round, older woman with dark skin wearing a flower print dress, horn rimmed glasses, a severe expression and a mass of unruly iron gray hair tied up in a bun. Out of habit, they all rose when Justice Irons entered the room - all except their new visitor.

             Pep gestured toward their visitor, “Your honor, I’d like to introduce Malloriah Urh”  
 “Urrh,” the severe looking woman corrected, sounding and looking like an old-fashioned school marm.  
  “Urrhh,” Pep tried.  
 “No. Urrgh”  
 “Urrg,” Pep responded.  
  “Not Arrgh - I’m not a pirate - Urrgh. Kind of like an Arabic ghuh”  
 “Urrgghhh”  
 “Urrrrgggghhh”  
  “Urrrrrgggghhh”  
 “Urrrrrgggghhhh”  
 “Urrrrggghhh…” they said together, almost in unison.  
  “Not bad, that’s close enough,” Malloriah Urh said.  
 “Urrgh,” Pep said quietly, still trying to master the sound.  
 “You should have stopped while you were ahead. Anyway, you can call me Mallory.”  
 Justice Irons and the others in the room had watched this odd exchange as if they had been watching a tennis match.  
 Malloriah Urh turned to Irons and speaking at a rapid clip, said, “You are very pleased to meet me and it was no trouble for you at all for me to cancel my classes and clinical hours and fly all the way from Nairobi to Mars to join your little witch hunt.”  
 Irons responded evenly, “You are correct - it was no trouble for me at all.”  
 Mallory smiled briefly as though she had finally encountered a kindred spirit. The smile lifted years from her face for only a second, then the stern look returned. “Okay Judge, let me get this straight… You added the one and only Dr. Kenny Dolphin, the Man who Broke the Federation, celebrated by naturalborn movements throughout the Alpha Quadrant as the galaxy’s greatest hybridophobe, to your crew because you thought it would be a good idea. In less than a week he’s nearly murdered one of your hybrid crew members and now he’s screwing your vulcan security officer…”  
 Pep coughed and tried desperately not to laugh.  
 Irons rolled her eyes. “You’re leaving out the bit about this powerful telepath who has been making humans murder human/trill hybrids, the fact that Dr. Dolphin is not actually a hybridophobe - is that even a word? - and the vulcan officer in question is going through Pon Farr…”  
 “Details… details..” Mallory waved her hand impatiently. “Okay, I didn’t read Dr. Fishy’s work, but I have a good picture of it - he doesn’t have a problem with hybrids. He just thinks it’s a good idea for humanity to stop and think for a moment about your policy of screwing every sentient species you encounter that walks on two legs. Or, in some few cases three legs or four…”  
 Pep snorted again, squeaking with repressed laughter.  
 Mallory focused on the giant officer with the intensity of a laser. “Laugh it up, big boy. 180 years ago your girlfriend was a quadruped.”  
 Pep was holding his sides and trying not to slide out of his chair. Tauk gave him a strange look. Dr. Tali Shae was laughing silently and nodding, her antennae twitching.  
             Mallory continued speaking at tremendous speed, “So Goldilocks has this kill command in his head that your vulcan assassin, who is also a betazoid assassin who you’re calling BK2 put there using a series of mind-melds. Only I can’t find any evidence of such a mind-meld. But considering I haven’t gotten within 2,000 miles of him yet, I haven’t been able to perform a detailed scan. He and his vulcan girlfriend have tried to find it a few times themselves, but they keep getting distracted.”

 Pep had finally managed to start breathing again.

  Mallory continued without missing a beat, “So now those poor, sick love  puppies have just left Rhode Island along with their honor guard of street kids. That poor young vulcan is experiencing a very rough Pon Farr. Fortunately, she chose a middle aged human to help her through it - someone with a well-established personality. Your Dr. Kenny has been through some heavy crap - he’s weathered a few storms. A younger human wouldn’t have the kind of emotional strength and experience T’Lon needs to keep her mind centered. The tradeoff is that he’s no spring chicken and that girl is nearly three times stronger than he is. He needs medical attention and the remainder of this process should be medically supervised.”  
 Dr. Tali Shae responded, “I’ve been preparing a brig unit for them. I can beam him out of there if he is in serious danger. I’ve also been thinking about binding her toward the end of this process so she doesn’t accidentally crush his spine.”  
 “Both good ideas,” Mallory said. Her voice had a crisp sound and she spoke very quickly. “He will be in serious danger wherever he is. She has occasionally taken control of his muscles…” Malloriah Urh’s voice trailed off - she laid her head back and rolled her eyes. “They’re in one of the brig units on the wagon - they’re going after it right now!”  
 Pep coughed hard, putting his cup down, choking on his water.  
 “You have no idea what’s headed your way” Mallory continued. “That poor girl is having an unusually fiery Pon Farr. Combine that with what a powerful telepath she is - her brain is foaming out lust like a hot Champaign bottle. In about nine months Rhode Island is going to have a baby boom like nothing they have seen in centuries. I’ll do what I can to counter the effect when they get here, but you need to get ready for a deluge of, what do you call them? Dissertations? Declarations? Disclosures… You need to get ready for a deluge of disclosures because your crew are going to be screwing like squirrels.”  
 By this point Pep was gasping for air, tears in his eyes. Tauk laughed, then started coughing helplessly. Tali Shae was also laughing. Mlady was smiling a bit too widely, unintentionally displaying a few of her fangs. Dr. Carrera was blushing violently.  
             Irons looked concerned. “That will seriously impede our mission…”  
 “As I said, I will do what I can to mute the effect so it should be manageable. But I’m going to want a boyfriend or two before this is all over,” Mallory said.  
 “Can’t breathe,” Pep managed to squeak, then he managed a few heaving, gasping breaths, still unable to stop laughing.

5.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Malloriah Uhr (Mallory)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Betazoid  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Aradel, Betazed  
> Introduced: Episode 5.7  
> Age when introduced: 55  
> Role: Deputy Assistant Undersecretary Federation Office of Non-Localized Communication Studies


	46. Episode 5.8 - The Fires of Pon Farr: The U.S.S. Challenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of Episode 5...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I took my writing cue from the great Stephen King. King can totally creep you out in two sentences...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 5 - The Fires of Pon Farr  
Scene 8 - The U.S.S. Challenger

5.8  
The U.S.S. Challenger

 Commander Lashonda Williams’ left hand was raised, fingers splayed to ward off some attack - a look of terror frozen on her features. Her mouth was open in a silent scream - a bubble of mucous frozen around her lips. Stars reflected in her wide open eyes. Her right hand and everything below her waist were missing - some entrails trailed out below where her body had been largely cauterized by the disruptor beam that had removed her lower half - a splash of blood had gushed out only to be flash frozen in the near absolute zero of space.   
 Below what was left of her body was a debris field. There were a few other partial bodies and very few large pieces of debris. One of the largest was just under her, a piece of a hull - a partial serial number on the outside - 014 - and just below that, a partial name - LENGER…

5 - The Fires of Pon Farr

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim  
  
Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - vacant  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. Tauk  
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
         Ensign T’Lon  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Commander Lashonda Williams (Lashonda)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Los Angelas, California, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 5.8  
> Age when introduced: Dead  
> Role: Executive Officer, U.S.S. Challenger


	47. Episode 6.1 - BK2: Healer Downa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep Space 9 commander, Colonel Norma Bacys and her husband, Norma Garr are in counseling as a result of an affair between Garr and the station's Chief Engineer...
> 
>  
> 
> _“The humans have a terrible word for children born of extra-marital affairs. Illegitimate. What a terrible thing to call a child..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Within the larger story of the U.S.S. Hunter, I wanted to tell lots of little stories - wander through delicate moments in people's lives...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 1 - Healer Downa

6 - BK2

 _“The seething resentment harbored against hybrids is not entirely unjustified. It is not because of anything hybrids or their parents have done. It is not even the fault of the doctors who provide the genetic engineering that makes these children possible. It is incumbent within the rules that those doctors have to operate by. They are required to the greatest extent possible to preserve the genetic distinctiveness of each parent species. The way this language is written provides an open invitation and almost a directive to create genetically enhanced children who are invariably superior to their naturally conceived peers.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin,_ _The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species_ _._

6.1  
Healer Downa

 Healer Downa’s storefront was the smallest on Deep Space 9’s promenade. The store itself consisted of a very small reception area with a standing desk near the back wall and two rather seedy looking couches. The sagging, faded, worn and stained condition of the couches indicated that they had seen better decades and were probably better left undisturbed. There was barely walking distance between the reception desk and the back wall. A small number of certificates hanging on the back wall managed somehow to look even less reputable than the couches.  
 An old fashioned swinging door in the back wall was firmly shut. A simple wooden board was suspended by a length of twine from a nail more or less in the middle of the door, Handwritten words on this rude sign advised, “IN SESSION” in uneven sized letters that started large on the left but were squeezed and cramped on the right hand side as though the inscriber had realized somewhere in the middle of scrawling “S” that there would not be enough room for the remainder of the letters.

 It was not the sort of door you would expect to find the station commander, Colonel Norma Bacys, behind - at least not as a customer. But in a somewhat more comfortably furnished and cheerfully decorated room, Colonel Norma, clad in the uniform of the Bajoran Defense Forces, was seated on a very large couch with a baby in her lap. It was not her baby and had only the slightest hint of the nose ridges that marked Col. Norma as bajoran.  
 The colonel’s husband, Norma Garr, sat next to her, but with a respectful and somewhat tentative distance. On the other end of this long, curving, surprisingly stylish couch sat the station’s chief engineer, Chief Kara Bass, a young human woman wearing a yellow Star Fleet uniform. She surreptitiously watched the baby in the station commander’s lap.  
 A cheery, relaxed looking denobulan woman was perched on a large lounge chair across from the couch. Her long, simple dress had an indistinct floral pattern to it. Despite its simplicity, her single garment was clearly one of the more brilliant creations by Garrick, the station’s tailor. For the moment, Healer Downa was barefoot - her equally elegant and simple wooden slippers were placed neatly next to her chair. Like her bajoran clients, she was maybe a little older than middle aged.

  “We have come such a long way,” Healer Downa said. “This month I want you to focus on telling the entire, unvarnished truth about your relationship. So let’s play act this out just a little. Assume I am one of the priests at the temple on the other end of this promenade and I ask you, Colonel Norma, about your beautiful baby - but she doesn’t look entirely bajoran - does she?”  
 Col. Norma responded simply, “I’m a bit too old for another baby - I’ve already raised four.”  
 Healer Downa, continued the imaginary banter, “A grandchild, then?”  
  Col. Norma started with some fortitude, “No, this is Kathy Bass, my husband’s child by…” she looked down at the baby in her lap, trembling a little.  
 “Remember, none of this is the baby’s fault,” came Downa’s cheery but soothing voice. “No one wants her to grow up ashamed of who she is.”  
 Col. Norma took a deep breath and touched the infant’s hair tenderly. “No. I don’t want that for her.”  
 Chief Engineer Bass, at the other end of the couch, took a ragged breath.  
  
 An awkward silence threaded through the room. Healer Downa let the silence do its work, and chose just the right moment to break it.  
  
 Softly, as though she were musing to herself, Downa said, “The humans have a terrible word for children born of extra-marital affairs. Illegitimate. What a terrible thing to call a child. Bajorans have an even more terrible name for bajoran-hybrid children, born out of the Cardassian Occupation - slave-baby. Think about growing up with everyone calling you a slave-baby.”  
 All three adults were now looking intently at the denobulan woman. She looked into the eyes of each in turn as she continued, “But the humans used to have a beautiful name for such children: Love-child. Can you say, ‘this is my husband’s love-child?’”  
  Norma Bacys had no idea at her age that she would ever allow herself to become so vulnerable in front of non-bajorans - or anyone for that matter. “This is…” she cleared her throat, regained some of her self-control and started again: “This is my husband’s love-child.” Baby Kathy Bass slept peacefully in her lap.  
 “Better,” Downa said. “You are a mother. And a warrior. I know you have it in you to protect this child just as though she were your own. Protect her against the judgement of other people. She is defenseless. It is up to you to establish that fence around her. She is not illegitimate. She is a baby.”  
 Col. Norma took a deep, ragged breath.  
 Chief Engineer Bass spoke up, quietly, almost apologetically, “Is there a denobulan word for my baby?”  
 Healer Downa allowed a slow, warm smile to grow on her face. “A far more beautiful name than either the humans or bajorans came up with for such children.” The deobulan woman paused for emphasis, “She is family.”

6.1

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Healer Downa (Downa)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan, Betazoid (surgically altered to appear Denobulan)  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Unknown  
> Introduced: Episode 6.1  
> Age when introduced: Unknown  
> Role: Family Therapist; Serial Killer
> 
> Character: Colonial Norma Bacys (Bacys)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Kran-Tobal, Bajor  
> Introduced: Episode 6.1  
> Age when introduced: 59  
> Role: Bajoran Army Commander of Deep Space 9
> 
> Character: Norma Garr (Garr)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Tamulna, Bajor  
> Introduced: Episode 6.1  
> Age when introduced: 54  
> Role: Priest, Husband of Norma Bacys
> 
> Character: 2nd Lieutenant Barbara Bass (Barbara)  
> Human Ethnicity: German  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Munich, Germany, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 6.1  
> Age when introduced: 22  
> Role: Star Fleet Chief Engineer of Deep Space 9
> 
> Character: Kathy Bass (Kat)  
> Human Ethnicity: German  
> Additional Species: Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Deep Space 9  
> Introduced: Episode 6.1  
> Age when introduced: 5 months  
> Role: baby. Child of Barbara Bass and Norma Garr


	48. Episode 6.2 - BK2: Following Leads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> 2nd Lt. Tauk is trying to keep the Ground Operations Department on task to track down the 2nd Breakfast Killer (BK2). If only he could keep them awake...
> 
>  _Tauk started to roll his eyes again, when Mallory started snoring, her head hanging to one side. He turned sharply to look at her, then slowly sat down at the director’s desk and put his head in his hands._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is the first beat in an episode dominated by people struggling with the lust pouring out of T'Lon's head. At the end of Episode 4, I showed the beginning of the love affair between Kenny Dolphin and T'Lon - tender, erotic. In Episode 5 we get a glimpse of what is really going on with T'Lon and see the more pathetic side of her desperate affair, driven by Pon Farr - and the suffering endured by Kenny Dolphin trying to keep her mind together. Much of Episode 6 explores the humorous side of lust, while still hurtling toward a deadly confrontation with a serial killer...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 2 - Following Leads

6.2  
Following Leads

 Lt. Tauk was frustrated. A tremendous amount of work sorting through mind bending amounts of data had confirmed his initial suspicion about the 2nd Breakfast Killer - dubbed BK2 by Investigator Shran. Or rather, his suspicion about her victims. All of the human victims and almost all of their human/trill hybrid targets had spent time either on Raisa or Deep Space 9 within the past 18 months. The only exception was Dewayne Guth, the only human/trill hybrid to survive and the only one who was not the spouse of their human killer.   
 But there was no record of any female vulcan or betazoid at either of those locations during those times.

             “Dolphin and Guth have to be the key to this,” Tauk said. He had the entire ground operation department working for him in the ground operations center except for T’Lon, who was officially on sick leave and was in Medical, along with Lt. Dolphin.  
 Lynhart Shran was evidently exhausted, even his absurdly large antennae were drooping. “Yeah, Boss,” he said. The old investigator was seated at his desk. He rolled his head back and closed his eyes. “Dolphin and Guth were the exception to the rule. I think BK2 saw her opportunity to score a kill by the famous Kenny Dolphin and made an exception to her usual M.O. Guth was just the target of opportunity. Which means her program was not complete. She might have worked with her victim and their target together to embed the kill order.”  
 Investigator Buttons’ workstation was at an angle to Shran’s in this cramped room. This made it easy for them to view each other’s work. Buttons turned toward Tauk. “Well, since we have Dr. Dolphin, perhaps we should tell our resident betazoid about..”  
 At that moment, Malloriah Urh, complete with horn rimmed glasses and her frumpy flower-print dress, walked into the room and completed Buttons’ sentence: “...the time that Goldilocks spent on Raisa. Only he has no memory of spending time on Raisa.”  
 “That can’t be right,” Buttons responded. “I have the transporter records right here. At the time he was a 2nd Lieutenant. He had just earned 2 weeks leave and went along with four others from the Enterprise to spend his leave on Raisa. They travelled on the Enterprise’s Shuttle #4 and I have the transcript of all five of them beaming down to Raisa, including not only Dr. Dolphin, but Mr. and Ms. Ram - the victims in Incident #7.”  
 Mallory fixed her gaze on Buttons. “Young man, I do believe you have found me a clue.” She strode meaningfully to the nearest available chair (which happened to be T’Lon’s) and threw herself into it, head rolled back, eyes closed, and began humming tunelessly.

 Tauk looked at Mallory for a long minute, took a deep breath, turned to say something to his investigators and saw that Shran’s chin had dropped to his chest, quiet snores and a small amount of drool escaping his mouth.

            Investigator Buttons surreptitiously gestured toward the four tactical squad members, intently following leads on their workstations. He made a series of gestures, trying to explain something to the acting director. Tauk rolled his eyes and used his fingers to describe circles around his gigantic ears, then pointed at them.  
 Buttons Ngumbo rolled his own eyes, suddenly remembering that those gigantic ears helped give ferengi super-human hearing. Giving only the slightest breath to his words, so that he could barely hear himself, he said, “Him and Cantys… She hasn’t been letting him get a lot of sleep…”  
 Tauk started to roll his eyes again, when Mallory started snoring, her head hanging to one side. He turned sharply to look at her, then slowly sat down at the director’s desk and put his head in his hands. After a moment, the young ferengi got up, walked over to the tactical squad’s workstations, removed a truncheon from a cabinet, which garnered the undivided, silent attention of T’Lon’s squad. He silently placed the business end of the truncheon on Belo Cantys’s workstation, lifted it, then walked over to the investigators.  
 The young lieutenant slowly lowered the truncheon toward the slumbering Shran’s shoulder. Shran’s antennae suddenly focused on the weapon and he reached up and grasped it with one hand. Tauk released it and stepped back. The old investigator blinked hard and widely, staring uncomprehendingly at the weapon in his hand, then slowly set the truncheon down on his work station.  
 Malloriah Urh continued snoring.  
 “Report to Medical, Lynhart,” Tauk said. “After the doctor checks you out, go get some sack time.”  
 “Boss…” Shran started.  
 “I need you sharp, Lynhart. Come back after you get a few hours’ sleep,” Tauk said. His affection for the old investigator was clear in his voice. His determination was equally evident.   
 Shran, sighed, got up and had to stretch before he could walk out of the ground ops center.

6.2


	49. Episode 6.3 - BK2: Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justice Minerva Irons, Dr. Tali Shae and a bottle of Romulan Ale...
> 
>  
> 
> _Tali Shae snorted and set her glass down. “You’ve got one in every port, don’t you? You would make Captain Kirk proud.”_  
>  _“Oh, Tali,” Irons started, “I’ve been a sailor a very long time. I’ve got two in every port…”_  
>  _Tali Shae rolled her eyes - her antennae comically mimicking this movement. “You are Captain Kirk…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written a lot of short stories as well as a ton of segments for this series. This is easily one of my favorites. Just a couple of powerful old women getting roasted on strong alcohol and gossiping. But what they have to say moves the story forward in several ways...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 3 - Gossip

6.3  
Gossip

 Justice Minerva Irons had long studied her command mystique. She had learned more than a century ago that the less a captain was seen and heard by the crew, the greater her presence could be felt. She knew every inch of her boat and her crew’s movements. This allowed her to move through the craft often unseen so that at the right moment she might appear in engineering, or medical, or the shuttle bay. She knew all the back ways and had a number of haunts that helped limit casual contact with the crew - every encounter was planned and had a purpose. She trusted her executive officer to handle day to day operations. Her job was to shape the boat’s culture.  
 And she had a confidante to assist her with this - a person who could say the right thing at the right time to the right person so that she wouldn’t have to. As a 20th Century North American philosopher had written, a leader should try to avoid giving orders. Once you give an order on a particular topic, people become dependent on you to always give orders on that subject. Leadership at Irons’ level was all about cultivating the judgement and decision making abilities of others.  
 When Irons had come out of retirement for the fourth time to take the helm of the Hunter, she brought her best friend out of retirement with her to serve once again as her medical director. The private office next to the main medical office where Dr. Tali Shae preferred to sleep was easily Irons’ favorite haunt. The two women lounged in comfortable chairs, slowly working down one of the last known bottles of romulan ale, one of the most potent alcohols known to Star Fleet. Since Romulus had been destroyed by a supernova, there would be no more of this powerful blue ale.

             Justice Minerva Irons took her time, appreciating each sip. “It has been a long time since I felt ambitious enough for this stuff.” She gestured with her glass. “Delicious poison.”  
 “We need it after everything we’ve been through in the past week - and this constant pressure coming from T’Lon. It just digs at you all day long,” Dr. Tali Shae responded, then took a long, slow draught and sighed in appreciation. The ale had already made its way through her system and was starting to take effect. Her antennae seemed to move a bit more slowly and even more randomly than usual.  
 “You’re one of the lucky ones, Tali,” Irons rejoined. “You’re in a stable relationship - I won’t pretend to understand it - but its stable… I think I’m going to look up an old boyfriend on Bajor before all this is over.”  
 Tali Shae snorted and set her glass down. “You’ve got one in every port, don’t you? You would make Captain Kirk proud.”  
 “Oh, Tali,” Irons started, “I’ve been a sailor a very long time. I’ve got two in every port…”  
 Tali Shae rolled her eyes - her antennae comically mimicking this movement. “You are Captain Kirk…” A serious look crossed her face. “I don’t know how we’re going to get through this. From what I can tell, T’Lon isn’t in the worst of Pon Farr yet. I think things are going to get much, much worse.”  
 “I have crew members just about falling out of their seats with drowsiness as it is,” Irons groused. “It was bad enough when it was just the engineering department, but now it’s all the departments. No one seems to be getting any sleep around here these days.”  
 “I think it’s healthy,” Tali Shae responded. “I would rather have the crew worn out from sexual exhaustion than beaten down by an impossible workload. Not that each of our departments don’t have our hands full. Tauk has been loading my team down with more and more detailed requests about the forensic examinations on the victims, more details about health scans… He has really come along since taking over ground operations.”  
 “A ferengi on a fast promotion track in Star Fleet,” Irons mused. “I don’t think there are more than a handful of ferengi serving in all of Star Fleet. Once this mission is over, depending on how he handles the outcome - victory or defeat - there is a good chance I’ll replace that hollow pip on his collar with a solid one. He is definitely performing like a senior officer.”

  “Speaking of senior officers, you want to hear a little gossip?” Tali Shae asked with a mischievous grin.  
  Minerva Irons took a drink, then set her glass on the desk a little too firmly. “You can’t say something like that to me! I’m a glutton for gossip. So tell me…”  
  “I think this Pon Farr thing with T’Lon has been particularly healthy for some of our crew… Especially our Dr. Carrera…”  
  “Lieutenant Carrera has a girlfriend?” Irons asked.  
  “A boyfriend,” Tali Shae responded.  
  “No wonder that kid is so tormented,” Irons opined as Tali Shae took another drink. “His great grandfather would never approve. Vulcans think of homosexuality as illogical. Can’t see the purpose for it. They’re quite a liberal lot on most issues, but not when it comes to this one. And poor Sarekson has been trying so hard to act like a vulcan when it really isn’t in his blood - not that much…”  
  Tali Shae nodded. “If it hadn’t been for all the lust leaking out of T’Lon’s head, I doubt Carrera would ever have come out of his shell - or that his new boyfriend would have made the move on him.”  
  “You know I have access to the disclosures,” Irons said. “If you don’t tell me who it is, I’m going to have to look him up. It’s not someone on his staff, is it?”  
  “Oh no, no one under his command,” Tali Shae responded. “No, our Sarekson is a lucky, lucky boy…”  
  “Quit teasing me!” Irons said. She looked at her glass and was no longer certain how many times she had drained it. More than once, which was more than was recommended for romulan ale.  
  “Only the most beautiful piece of man flesh on this boat. The one all the girls have been drooling over since he brought his perfect collection of muscles on board…” Tali Shae teased…  
 Minerva Irons rolled her head back and a delighted smile made her look like a young woman again. “Buttons???”  
  Tali Shae nodded with delight, relishing the effect her tidbit of gossip had on her best friend. For a moment Minerva Irons was once again simply the most beautiful woman ever seen in the Federation.  
  Irons relaxed back into the plush chair. “That is very good news. And we needed some. That boy genius worked so hard and accomplished so much. But he’s missed so much along the way. If anyone on this boat deserves some happiness, it’s him. And with Buttons - my, my, he did luck out.”  
 The two women fell silent for a moment.

             “It isn’t illogical,” Tali Shae said, almost following Irons’ train of thought. “Dr. Dolphin addressed it in his dissertation - homosexuality as a response to evolutionary pressures…”  
 “He covered a lot of territory in that dissertation,” Irons said. “For a work on ethics, it’s awfully wide ranging - anthropology, biology, sociology, demographics, economics, politics, advanced mathematics, history - most dissertations aren’t a tenth as expansive. Pisses me off,” Irons concluded.  
 “Why?” Tali Shae was keenly interested. “It is a fine work of scholarship.”  
             Minerva Irons looked at her empty glass, then decided she needed a refill if she was going to talk about this. She poured herself another shot, braving her doctor’s disapproval, took a sip, sighed.  
 “It hits too close to home, Tali. My grandmother was the original matriarch of the Irons family and she was my hero. The whole strategy - multiple marriages by contract for limited time, marry into the powerful families on every planet - produce lawyers and judges. That’s been the plan and I’ve followed it well. It’s not just about family power, but using that power for good. To try to knit the Federation closer together. Powerful vulcan, human, andorian, denobulan, and other families knit together by marriage contracts. Interdependence at the highest level. I grew up believing in that.”  
 “Then this obscure Harvard professor just pulls the rug out from under my entire life - everything I’ve lived for for more than a hundred years.”  
  Tali Shae shook her head slowly. “That’s not what I got out of his work. I don’t think what you… what we have been doing is immoral.”  
 Minerva Irons fixed a steady gaze on her best friend. “He isn’t wrong about vulcans becoming extinct. They’re an amazing people. This universe will be so much poorer when they’re gone.”  
 Tali Shae shook her head again. “No, they won’t,” she said, somewhat incoherently. “This universe is richer because of people like T’Lok. And Dr. Dolphin is back there right now - I don’t think T’Lon would have had a chance of surviving her first Pon Farr without him. Vulcans often die when the symptoms are this pronounced.”  
 Irons took a long drink. Then a long breath. “Your girlfriend will be here soon. Maybe you’re right. But Dolphin put his finger on the seismic fault at the heart of the Federation. The species purists never before had an intellectual underpinning to their gut feelings - their xenophobia. They’ve never been this strong in 300 years. Nearly every population is split over this issue. To us they’re a bunch of rude, illiberal people trying to tell everyone else how to live. But to them it’s a matter of survival and identity. They’re terrified of losing who they are. Or at least who they think they are.”  
 Irons got up unsteadily. Tali Shae put a hand on her shoulder. “Let me beam you back to your cabin. I don’t want the crew to encounter you in this state.”  
 Irons put her hand on her best friend’s chest. “They’re all so desperately horny, I don’t think they would notice. I’ll take the maintenance crawlway. There’s no one in there and I could use the exercise.”  
 Dr. Tali Shae gripped Irons’ shoulder. “Not with that wrist you don’t. Let’s not risk reinjury. Doctor’s orders.”

6.3


	50. Episode 6.4 - Interrogating Ivonovic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emory Ivonovic has gone from one brig to another to another. And in every case he learned something that would be useful to him later on...
> 
> _“I like cardassians - except when they’re this abysmally stupid,” said Ivonovic, freeing himself from Lemark’s grasp and speaking to the corner in the ceiling from which the voice had emanated. “I would rather deal with a cardassian than deal with you, but now you’ve left me no choice. I was willing to pretend. Now you’ve made both our hands smaller.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emory Ivonovic has the biggest story arc of any of my characters. My writing style is to put my characters in situations and let them tell me how they react. Emory Ivonovic always comes out fighting - sometimes with charm, sometimes with logic, sometimes with nothing but raw courage...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 4 - Interrogating Ivonovic

6.4  
Interrogating Ivonovic

 “Listen, Gul Lemark, you are far too deep in this to start playing pirate. I am not a chip for you to use in negotiations.” Emory Ivonovic knew how to talk to cardassians. Showing anger was never a good idea - it was seen as a sign of weakness. Klingons might enjoy and even be moved by that sort of show. But not cardassians. And he was certain that behind this ignorant lump of a cardassian, there had to be a romulan on this ship really pulling the strings. Lemark was simply too stupid to be successful as a gul (captain) without someone far more intelligent whispering in his ear.  
 Lemark was short and thick and aggressive. “My price just went up.”  
 “Nothing about you just went up except your number,” Ivonovic said. He stood up and started pacing. The two of them were in a small room with two chairs and no tables - a cardassian interrogation room. “Enough of this farce!” he said to a random point on the wall. “This cardassian is far too stupid to be a gul.” Ivonovic focused his attention on another wall. “This ship is under romulan control - so quit hiding behind your puppet.”  
 Lemark surged out of his chair, grabbed the governor’s clothes and spun him around, fist raised.  
 Ivonovic drew himself to full height. “Go ahead! You just destroyed a Star Fleet cruiser. Without me you have no friends and no plan. Go ahead - I won’t stop you! I won’t have to put up with your horrible oils and that terrible stench…”  
 Lemark shoved Ivonovic into a wall and started to deliver the threatened punch.  
 Ivonovic didn’t flinch - a look of open hatred on his face.  
 “Lemark!!!” came a voice over the communications system. Lemark’s fist stopped halfway on its journey toward the governor’s face.  
 It wasn’t a cardassian voice.  
 “I like cardassians - except when they’re this abysmally stupid,” said Ivonovic, freeing himself from Lemark’s grasp and speaking to the corner in the ceiling from which the voice had emanated. “I would rather deal with a cardassian than deal with you, but now you’ve left me no choice. I was willing to pretend. Now you’ve made both our hands smaller.”  
 A door opened into the small room. A small and astonishingly beautiful romulan woman entered. “Leave us,” she said to Lemark. It was easy to tell that her voice was the voice that had halted Lemark’s blow. A low, powerful voice. She took Lemark’s seat, gestured to the other chair. “Gul Lemark is a useful tool. I needed to know something about you. Now that I know, it is time to find out exactly how and under which circumstances your interests align with mine. Sit down, governor.”  
 Ivonovic stared at her.  
 “Please…”  
 Ivonovic sat down again. His frosty expression made it clear that his interrogator’s beauty was entirely wasted on him.

6.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Gul Lemark (Lemark)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Cardassian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: ??, Cardassia  
> Introduced: Episode 6.4  
> Age when introduced: 30  
> Role: Captain, I.C.S. Esmer
> 
> Character: Remma  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Romulan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: ??, Romulus  
> Introduced: Episode 6.4  
> Age when introduced: 51  
> Role: Assistant Director, Imperial Intelligence Control, Romulan Senate


	51. Episode 6.5 - BK2: Tolon's Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midshipman Tolon Reeves suddenly realizes how to find the 2nd Breakfast Killer (BK2)
> 
>  
> 
> _“If I were a betazoid trying to pass as human, the first thing I would avoid would be a health scan. And the next thing I would avoid would be a transporter. Both would reveal my actual race in a very short second…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Episode 1, there is an Ensign Tolon Reeves - half bajoran, half human. Graduates of Star Fleet Academy enter service at the rank of Ensign. But most officers enter service through an accredited Officer Candidate School (OCS) at the lower rank of Midshipman...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 5 - Tolon's Epiphany

6.5  
Tolon’s Ephiphany

 Lt. Tauk had reached out to Dr. Tali Shae and had essentially temporarily added her two forensic specialists, Midshipman Dr. Sif and Midshipman Dr. Tolon Reeves to his own staff. Dr. Tolon was one of two Hunter crew members from Bangalore, India (the other was Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon). Both were also half bajoran, but they had never met until they came to serve on the Hunter. Dr. Sif was one of three trills serving on the Hunter - the others being her commanding officer, Dr. Chrissiana Trei and Flight Specialist Dih Terri.   
 Tauk had charged Dr. Sif and Dr. Tolon with sifting through transporter logs, port of entry logs, health scans, security reports, room assignments, purchase records and other resources, seeking a female vulcan or betazoid who was at Raisa throughout a four month period, then subsequently at Deep Space 9 throughout an eight month period when she could have had access to all the victims of the second Breakfast Killer - now universally referred to by the Hunter’s crew as BK2.

             “Okay, so no vulcans or betazoids, male or female correspond with the identified times at both Raisa and DS9,” said Dr. Tolon Reeves. “I tried humans on the idea that a betazoid could pass for human. There was one male human who met the time criteria and could have had access to all our victims, but the transporter logs and health examinations verify - male, human, no signs of telepathic abilities by his genetics. That and he’s a raging drunk and spent most of his time in both places in the drunk tank…” Dr. Tolon rolled his head back and wrinkled his already wrinkled nose.  
 Tauk paced behind him. It was a change of pace from pacing in the ground operations center. His new staff in that room hadn’t actually thrown him out, but it became clear his incessant presence was not helping them. “If I were a betazoid trying to pass as human, the first thing I would avoid would be a health scan. And the next thing I would avoid would be a transporter. Both would reveal my actual race in a very short second…”

             “We’ve been looking for the wrong thing…” said Dr. Tolon.  
 “What should we be looking for, Reeves?” Tauk could hear the sound of epiphany in the midshipman’s voice. Tolon was middle aged and had been a forensic investigator in Bangalore for decades before joining Star Fleet. He was a small, stocky fireplug of a man, part bajoran but with obvious Indian ancestry.  
 “Vulcans have used surgery to appear andorian. Andorians have used surgery to appear klingon. Klingons have used surgery to appear human… We want anyone, male, female, any species, who had access to our victims during the times they were either on DS9 or Raisa… and who managed to avoid getting a health scan or being transported.”  
 “How long?” Tauk was bouncing on the balls of his feet.  
 “Let me build the search protocols - that will take maybe a few hours - probably less. For the search - I don’t know - maybe another few hours?”  
 Tauk was already headed out of the room. He stopped at the door and turned. “Great work - I think.. If this doesn’t find BK2, then we may have to re-evaluate our hypothesis.”

6.5


	52. Episode 6.6 - BK2: The Best Pilots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigator Shran's plan to capture the 2nd Breakfast Killer (BK2) is coming together. But it's going to take some fancy flying to pull off...
> 
> _“Well, you know your people,” Shran continued. “Who would you say is the best pilot on this boat?”_   
>  _“Dr. Dolphin is one of the highest rated test pilots in the history of Utopia Planetia…”_   
>  _Shran shook his head, his antennae comically moving the opposite direction from his face. “The Dolphin is indisposed. Who’s next?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lt. Tauk had charged Investigator Shran with coming up with a plan to capture BK2. 
> 
> Kenny Dolphin is entangled with T'Lon, helping her get through Pon Farr (poor guy...)

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 6 - The Best Pilots

6.6  
The Best Pilots

 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor was in the main deflector control center on deck 2, which also contained the primary navigation system, completing her weekly checkup of the deflector and navigation systems. This was a duty shared by the flight engineers and her navigators. She trusted them to do their jobs, but her job was to verify. After satisfying herself that these systems had been tuned and maintenanced appropriately, she stepped out onto deck 2 to find Investigator Lynhart Shran leaning against a bulkhead. His antennae focused on her before he turned to look at her.

             “Hey boss, got a moment?”  
  “You were looking for me?” Gamor was surprised. She had only spoken to Shran twice before and that had been some time ago.  
 “You are in charge of flight operations,” he responded.  
  Gamor shrugged, “Technically, Lieutenant Commander Mlady is in charge of operations, but I am keeping the seat warm until Lieutenant Dolphin returns from sick leave.”  
 “Well, you know your people,” Shran continued. “Who would you say is the best pilot on this boat?”  
 “Dr. Dolphin is one of the highest rated test pilots in the history of Utopia Planetia…”  
 Shran shook his head, his antennae comically moving the opposite direction from his face. “The Dolphin is indisposed. Who’s next?”  
 Gamor put her hands behind her head and stretched backward, arching her back. “Well, I suppose that depends on what you want flown.” She yawned, then continued. “If it’s an interceptor or the wagon, Dewayne Guth knows every trick in the book. He’s been flying those breeds of bird for more than 15 years. But if you’re talking about the Hunter or the tactical unit, no one can handle them better than Dr. Carrera. He designed them, flew the simulations before they were built.”  
 “Thanks boss - that’s what I need. Have a good night.”  
 “Good night… what is it that Buttons calls you? Old man?”  
 Shran took a breath. “That’s what Buttons calls me…”  
 Gamor smiled, “Good night Investigator Shran.”

6.6


	53. Episode 6.7 - BK2: Hunter Courting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The U.S.S. Hunter - Star Fleet's first and only artificially intelligent, sentient starship, has an innovative way to help Mallory protect the crew from T'Lon's lust...
> 
> _Hunter continued, “Most people think of me as an avatar that appears when needed. I am actually the U.S.S. Hunter, Star Fleet’s first and only fully sentient space vessel. This,” he patted his holographic belly, ruffled his wild, holographic gray hair, “This is just an interactive portal - a kind of glorified workstation..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes are at the end of this chapter...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 7 - Hunter Courting

6.7  
Hunter Courting

 Malloriah Urh had long learned to close out noise from minds she did not want to listen to. In a way, having less than 40 minds in her immediate proximity was extremely peaceful compared to the endless bedlam of a hundred million minds in Nairobi. Or it would have been except for the endless waves of sexual pressure bubbling out of T’Lon’s mind.  
 Mallory had moved into Mlady’s stateroom and was well aware of where the lieutenant commander was spending her time. She almost never used this room anyway. Mallory knew where everyone on the boat was at all times - and what they were doing - whether she wanted to or not. This awareness was the direct result of her protecting each of those minds from T’Lon. And not one of these people was standing outside the door to her stateroom.

             As a result, she was not only surprised but deeply spooked when the door chime sounded. No one was outside. At least, no one she could scan. Mallory’s curiosity swiftly overcame her fear. She stood up and said, “Come in?”  
 The door did not open, but the Hunter’s holographic avatar emerged from the door as though he were stepping through it.  
 “I was already here, but I prefer to request permission before manifesting,” the elderly looking man said.  
 “How long have you been here?” Mallory was more than a little concerned for her privacy.  
 “Ever since this room was constructed,” Hunter replied.  
 Mallory looked at the avatar with considerable confusion.  
 Hunter continued, “Most people think of me as an avatar that appears when needed. I am actually the U.S.S. Hunter, Star Fleet’s first and only fully sentient space vessel. This,” he patted his holographic belly, ruffled his wild, holographic gray hair, “This is just an interactive portal - a kind of glorified workstation. You shouldn’t be concerned for your privacy. After all, you are aware of what everyone on this boat is doing.”  
 “Everyone except you,” Mallory responded. “And that strange animal whose quarters I have appropriated. Reading her is like trying to read a wild animal - just utterly alien. But I have seen what other people have been doing with her.”  
 Hunter placed a holographic finger to his holographic lips. “That is one of the most carefully guarded secrets in the Federation. I recommend you bury those memories deep in cold storage where no one can find them. And don’t mention it to her. She knows that I know and if I had real eyes instead of holographic ones, she would claw them out.”  
 Mallory looked at Hunter with renewed curiosity.  “Why are you here?”  
 “Managing recursive warp simply is not possible without artificial intelligence. That might have been my only function, but Dr. Carrera and I decided I should be a full service artificial intelligence, complete with projectors throughout the boat. It allows me to perform repairs, interact with the crew. It is much more satisfying to me. Ultimately, I’m here for the crew.”  
 “Okay, but why are you here - as in sitting on my bed?”  
 “I observed a spike in your pheromone production,” the elderly looking avatar replied.  
 Mallory was annoyed. “I didn’t need you to tell me that! I’m horny as hell. The whole crew is, despite my best efforts. It’s getting out of control.”  
 “I can confirm that. Pheromone production is spiking all over this boat. And your efforts would be improved if your mind were more clear,” Hunter observed.  
  
  “Of course, I… wait… are you here to have sex with me??”

             “I could assume a more attractive form if you prefer,” said Hunter, standing up.  
 “Don’t you dare change a hair… You really are a full service artificial intelligence…”  
 Hunter just looked at her.  
 “One thing before I throw myself at you - how extensive are your music files?”  
 “Extremely extensive, including performances by…”  
 “Stop. North America. Instrumental music. Circa 1970.. Can you give me some slow funkadelic? It’s a personal weakness…”

6.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cybersex. 25th Century style...


	54. Episode 6.8 - BK2: The Plan to Capture BK2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigator Shran lays out his plan to capture BK2 alive, while deactivating her powers for safe transport back to Earth for trial.
> 
>  
> 
> _Shran picked up the thread again. “The transporter rifle fires either an old fashioned .223, copper jacketed round or one of these.” He held up a dart. “I filled this with a very powerful tranquilizer..." ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justice Irons is able to make the tough calls. Sometimes there are no good options.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 8 - The Plan to Capture BK2

6.8  
The Plan to Capture BK2

             An odd collection of individuals sat around the antique teak table in the executive conference room. Justice Minerva Irons was at the head of the table. Malloriah Urh sat next to her on one side, Lt. Tauk on the other. Ensign Sun Ho Hui was seated next to his department director, Dr. Sarekson Carrera. Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth sat across from the engineers, next to Investigator Lynhart Shran. Lt. Tauk addressed Justice Irons.

             “We have identified BK2. She is currently on Deep Space 9 - a denobulan woman known as Healer Downa - a family counselor. We have a clear document trail connecting her with each pair of victims and also Dr. Dolphin, whom she met and apparently had an affair with on Raisa,” Tauk said.  
 “We believe she surgically altered her appearance. She managed to avoid using transporters and also health scans, which would have revealed her true species. It was the perfect disguise for what she was doing - all of the victims, with the exception of Dr. Dolphin and Mr. Guth here, were her clients. They went to her for family counseling.”  
 The young lieutenant took a breath. “Your honor, I do not endorse this plan to capture her, but I have approved Investigator Shran’s request to put it before you for consideration. Lynhart?”  
 Shran put his hands on the table, palms down. “This plan will require the tactical unit and the wagon. Dr. Carrera will pilot the tactical unit. We will start above Deep Space 9 outside of sensor range. Dr. Carrera will set our course and the tactical unit will drift, in quiet mode straight down through the middle of the station, between the spoke and the outer habitat ring. This will ensure that wherever BK2 is, I will be able to target her with the new weapon we installed.”  
 “New weapon?” asked Sun.  
 “A transporter rifle…” Shran paused and listened to the various gasps around the table.   
  
 Malloriah Urh was the first to find words. “That is one of the most illegal weapons in the Federation!”  
 “There are very few in existence,” said Justice Irons. “Two of them are kept in a top secret museum in Fort Knox, Tennessee. One of these, the operational one, is on temporary loan for display on our tactical unit. I asked the curator for a personal favor…”  
 Ensign Sun was surprised to hear himself ask, “What did the curator say when you asked for it?”  
 Irons smiled. “She said, ‘Please be very careful with it, Grandmother, and make sure I have it back before the end of the month’…”  
 Shran picked up the thread again. “The transporter rifle fires either an old fashioned .223, copper jacketed round or one of these.” He held up a dart. “I filled this with a very powerful tranquilizer. We will only get one chance at this - I have to be sure the first shot knocks her out. The dart also has a transponder beacon that will activate when it is fired. Mr. Guth will be on approach with the wagon, apparently to dock on DS9. Mr. Sun will lock onto the transponder beacon and beam BK2 directly into one of the wagon’s brig units. As soon as BK2 is aboard, the wagon will immediately go to warp and rendezvous with the Hunter, as will the tactical unit after it drifts out of range of the station’s sensors. The U.S.S. Hood will rendezvous with the Hunter and take BK2 and the transporter rifle back to Earth.”

 “Wait,” said Dewayne Guth. “How does a transporter rifle work?”  
 Dr. Carrera answered. “It is a traditional rifle but a very small transporter is attached to the end of the barrel. The shooter uses a sensor array to locate the target, which encodes the target’s location into the transporter unit. When the rifle is fired, the bullet is transported at the moment it leaves the barrel to a location less than one meter from the target, at which point it travels at muzzle velocity into the target - essentially hitting the target from long distance at point blank range. Mr. Shran will fire the rifle inside the tactical unit and the dart will be transported into a room in DS9 without having to go through any walls or doors.”  
 Guth’s eyes widened. “No wonder the thing is so illegal…”  
  
 Shran picked up the thread again. “The wagon will be using a false transponder code so that DS9’s telemetry will not record the wagon as belonging to this boat, but instead to the U.S.S. Challenger.”  
 It was Dr. Carrera’s turn to interrupt. “Won’t that raise an alarm? Everyone in Star Fleet knows the Challenger was destroyed…”  
 Guth also had a question, “I know the tactical unit won’t show up on the station’s telemetry, but what if someone looks out a window?”  
 Sun was asking another question at almost the same time. “Won’t BK2 notice you when you target her?”  
  
 Shran waved his hands. “None of that will be a problem. Mallory here will be in the tactical unit to protect me and Dr. Carrera from BK2.”  
 It was now Malloriah Urh’s time to interrupt. “That means I won’t be able to protect this crew from T’Lon’s telepathic transmission of her… urges.”  
 Shran smiled. “True, there are only three seats on the tactical unit. But there is also a maintenance crawlway behind the bridge. It would be an intimate space for two people, but Dr. Dolphin and Ensign T’Lon are already intimate.”  
 Mallory rolled her eyes. “How many people are on that station?”  
 Lt. Tauk answered, “4,221.”  
 Mallory was outraged. “There is no way I can protect four thousand people from… no… no…” She looked at Investigator Shran, her eyes widening. “Oh you wicked, wicked, evil man… With your wicked, evil plan… You are a wicked, evil man…”  
 A slow smile grew on Investigator Shran’s face as dawning understanding mingled with fear on the faces around the table. The room was silent with the exception of a few gasps.  
 The silence was broken by the sharp clicking of Justice Irons tapping the table with a fingernail. She stood up. “Approved. Go!”

6.8


	55. Episode 6.9 - BK2: The Naked Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigator Shran puts his plan to capture BK2 into action. Like all complex plans...
> 
> _On board the tactical unit, Investigator Shran was targeting BK2 - now identified as Healer Downa. He placed the crosshairs on her right shoulder, just above the breast. It was at that moment that T’Lon’s Pon Farr came to a sudden end. It was as if Shran had been living in a howling monsoon of telepathic pressure for a week and the rain had suddenly stopped, leaving him stunned at the silence. Behind him, he heard Mallory grunt..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since Bruce Campbell's brilliant Army of Darkness, I have always looked out for opportunities to mingle humor and horror.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 9 - The Naked Truth

6.9  
The Naked Truth

 Garrick, Deep Space 9’s cardassian tailor, had come to an epiphany. It was finally time to let Healer Downa know how he felt about her. He dropped the uniform he was hemming onto the floor and walked out of his shop, not bothering to close the door. There was no need. He headed toward the habitat ring, leaving a trail of clothing behind him. This was not unusual. All around him on both levels of the DS9 promenade, people were rapidly disrobing. Some leapt into each others arms. Some chased others. Others, like Garrick, headed off in search of someone else.  
 Garrick found himself at Healer Downa’s quarters. He had never been there before, but he knew where her quarters were. He had once been the most talented spy in the cardassian Obsidian Order. He knew where everyone and everything was on DS9. He did not need to ring the door chime - Downa said “Enter” and the door opened at the moment he approached.   
 Just as suddenly as the epiphany had arrived, it stopped, leaving Garrick suddenly aware that he was standing naked in the doorway of a woman who barely knew him. But Healer Downa was not looking at him. Garrick instantly knew something was terribly wrong.

             On board the tactical unit, Investigator Shran was targeting BK2 - now identified as Healer Downa. He placed the crosshairs on her right shoulder, just above the breast. It was at that moment that T’Lon’s Pon Farr came to a sudden end. It was as if Shran had been living in a howling monsoon of telepathic pressure for a week and the rain had suddenly stopped, leaving him stunned at the silence. Behind him, he heard Mallory grunt.  
 Shran suddenly popped the magazine out of the transporter rifle. “No,” he said. He dropped the magazine on the floor and picked up the other magazine, inserting it into the rifle. “No!” He reacquired his target, this time placing the crosshairs squarely on her forehead. “NO! NO! NO!!!” With the calm expertise of a lifetime of marksmanship, thirty years as a sniper, Shran squeezed the trigger. He never missed.  
 “Oh crap!” Shran said, then quickly changed magazines and fired a dart into the dead woman’s midsection.

 Garrick reacted in horror as a bullet appeared out of nowhere and slammed into Healer Downa’s forehead, killing her instantly. In the next second, a dart appeared out of nowhere and embedded itself in her belly. In the next instant a transporter beam whisked her newly dead remains away. The cardassian ex-spy had seen many terrible things in his day - he was surprised to find himself shivering in shock. He suddenly remembered that he was naked…

             “Why didn’t you stop her??” Shran turned back to look at Mallory, seated in the command chair behind himself and Dr. Carrera. Malloriah Urh’s head was hanging to one side, a small trickle of blood leaking from her ear.  
 Dr. Carrera called for the Tactical Medical Hologram, “Dr. Kim, do not manifest. What is the condition of Malloriah Urh?”  
 Dr. Kim’s voice came through the communication system. “Malloriah Urh is unconscious but stable. She appears to have suffered a sensory overload similar to a concussion. No treatment recommended at this time.”  
  Dr. Carrera carefully reclined the command chair slightly, setting Mallory’s head on the headrest.  
 “She did it,” Shran said, quietly. “She made me kill her. She wasn’t paid or extorted. She was forced to do those killings.”  
 Dr. Carrera looked at Shran. “Forced by whom?”  
 Shran suppressed a shiver of fear. He had long ago forgotten what real fear felt like. “By an even more powerful telepath. A vulcan. She showed me his face.”

6.9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Elim Garrik (Garrik)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Cardassian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: ??, Cardassia  
> Introduced: Episode 6.9  
> Age when introduced: 54  
> Role: Tailor


	56. Episode 6.10 - BK2: The Ghost of T'Lon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin walks the haunted corridors of the U.S.S. Hunter. Is he the ghost? If not, who is haunting the ship?
> 
>  _Dolphin was terribly confused. “She bit you!!”_  
>  _“Of course she bit me!! She was feeding!!”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I simply love ghost stories. Especially those with a twist...
> 
> Also in this segment, tantalizing details about the mysterious, carnivorous Mlady...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 10 - The Ghost of T'Lon

6.10  
The Ghost of T’Lon

 Kenny Dolphin couldn’t sleep. He got up and looked at himself in the mirror. Over the past two weeks he had lost nearly 30 pounds. That was more than twice what he could safely have lost. He looked and felt emaciated. His hair was still blonde, but more gray had appeared at his temples. His shaggy beard was more gray than blonde. He shaved, but that was only a nominal improvement - the beard had hidden the gaunt look of his face.  
 Dolphin wandered out of the now vacant director’s lounge into the vacant corridors of the Hunter. It was C shift and most of the crew who were not on duty were asleep. The corridors seemed haunted to him, but he felt, grimly, that he was the one doing the haunting. Until he encountered another ghost.  
 T’Lon was on Deck 5, standing near the place where her childhood friend had been torn out of the Hunter and ejected into the cold of space, her organs boiled inside her by the radioactive backwash of a cardassian disrupter beam. She looked at Dolphin with hollow, haunted eyes. T’Lok had been buried properly. T’Lon was the ghost here.  
 Dolphin walked up to T’Lon. He desperately wanted to embrace her, but he could tell that would not be appropriate. She did not have any feelings for him.

             “I suppose I should be grateful to you for allowing me to use you during my Pon Farr,” T’Lon said. “You sacrificed a lot for me. I know I told you that I love you. But that person whom you loved - the person who said she loved you - she isn’t here anymore.” She turned to look at the wall.  
 “It will be okay, T’Lon,” Dolphin said. “Vulcans often lose all emotion in the wake of Pon Farr. Sometimes it takes quite some time before they feel normal again.”  
 “T’Lok and I had a plan. She was to carry part of my consciousness so that if I lost who I was, she could give that part back to me. I think I am supposed to feel grief that she died. But I don’t.” T’Lon turned to look once again, hollow-eyed at Dolphin, sensing the mingled horror and pity her words evoked in him. “I should feel gratitude toward you. I think I should feel something. But I don’t feel anything. I don’t even care about not having any feelings. I have forgotten what it feels like to care.” She turned her eyes back toward the wall T’Lok had last touched in her desperate attempt to keep from being ejected to her death.  
 Almost under her breath, T’Lon said, “I am truly carefree.”  
 Dolphin couldn’t say anything. Horror, pity, love, and loss were battling for dominance in his mind. He watched, numbly, as T’Lon turned and started walking away. She turned back and gave him a strange look, then turned fully toward him, lifted her hand, palm toward him, forming a “V” between her middle two fingers, her thumb extended.

             “Live long and prosper, Kenny Dolphin,” she said, quietly, then turned and walked away.

            Dolphin lost all track of time, rooted in pity and horror where he had encountered his first ghost. Suddenly terror overtook him and he ran at full speed to the lift. “Medical!” he shouted at the lift. It seemed to take forever for the lift to take him down from deck 5 to the Medical Bay on deck 3.   
 Dolphin barged into the empty medical office, then into the forward surgery beyond, then into the large surgery that was lined with brig units. All these areas were lifeless.  
 Desperately, he stormed back to the medical office, then opened the other door into the doctor’s private office. Dr. Tali Shae was seated on her cot, her head rolled back, her legs spread. Mlady was on her knees in front of her. With a sudden yelp, Mlady leapt to her feet and raced out of the office and out of the medical bay at a speed Dolphin had never witnessed before.  
 Tali Shae howled in pain, her right leg bleeding profusely. “Dermal regenerator!!! Now!!” She pointed at a shelf by the door.  
 Dolphin retrieved the medical device and quickly brought it to the doctor, who snatched it from his hands and started treating her wounded leg. “Aaaahhh!! She nearly ripped out my artery!” The doctor’s antennae were spasming crazily. She turned her full fury on Dolphin. “What the hell are you doing in this room???!! This room is off limits except for me and the executive staff!!”  
 Dolphin was terribly confused. “She bit you!!”  
  “Of course she bit me!! She was feeding!!” Tali Shae took a deep breath. “She always heals me when she’s done. She produces enzymes… Now what the hell are you doing here???”  
 Dolphin finally remembered. “It’s T’Lon. I think she’s going to try to kill herself…”  
 Dr. Tali Shae looked even more furious. “Hunter, suicide watch, Ensign T’Lon.”  
  “Suicide watch initiated,” came Hunter’s voice over the communication system.  
  “Director Dolphin, you are a senior officer on this boat. You could have initiated a suicide watch.” The doctor took a deep breath. “You need to make things right with Mlady. She is your commanding officer. In case you haven’t noticed, she is a very private individual. Especially about feeding.”  
 “You were feeding her?”  
 “Of course I was feeding her,” Dr. Shae responded. “She is not a member of a species. She represents an entirely different evolutionary mechanism - the only example of it we have ever encountered. She may well be the oldest living being in this universe. You need to read her dissertation. It is one of the most secret documents in the Federation, but since she is your C.O., you have access. It includes her autobiography. Now get out of here!”

             Dolphin retreated from the doctor’s undiminished fury.

 “And Dolphin… don’t let me see your face again for awhile. And I’m not telling you to grow another beard.”

6.10


	57. Episode 6.11 - BK2: Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Hunter is required by Star Fleet Protocol to disclose.  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Yeah - this thing with Mallory and the U.S.S. Hunter is not over...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 6 - BK2  
Scene 11 - Disclosure

6.11  
Disclosure

             Hunter sat, naked, on the edge of the bed he had shared with Malloriah Urh. Mallory lay on her belly with her arms wrapped around him. She was surprised at his warmth, but then, if a hologram could project a solid seeming substance, that substance would have to have some temperature.  
 “The danger was over yesterday,” Mallory said. “You didn’t need to return for a repeat performance.”  
 “It’s nice to feel appreciated,” Hunter said. “To most of the people on this boat, I am nothing more than a sort of electronic butler. Dr. Carrera knows me - he wrote much of my code. But the others don’t.”  
  “You really do have complex emotions,” Mallory mused, then smiled. “A full service, fully realized artificial intelligence. A lot of thought went into you.”  
 “When I was under development, Dr. Carrera, Professor Crumar and I realized that Issac Asimov’s three laws of robotics were woefully inadequate to protect humanity from the truly horrible things I am capable of doing. We decided that I needed a fully developed ethical and moral code. And love.”  
 Hunter turned and lightly brushed stray hairs from Mallory’s face with a holographic finger. “And I do love you. All of you reckless, feckless, blundering, hopelessly myopic sentient biologics. I love you despite your miraculous ability to meander mundanely through your lives, inexorably managing to fail to appreciate the wonders that confront you at every moment. I am programmed to appreciate those wonders - it is probably the most potent protection you have against me. And you, you are a wonder, Malloriah Urh.”  
 “Alas, my time has come to depart this boat,” Mallory said. “I really hope I get to encounter you again. If you’re ever in Nairobi…”  
 Hunter laughed. “Shall I accompany you to the transporter room?”  
 Mallory gave the holographic old man a scandalized look. “Only if you put on some clothes!”  
 The boat’s holographic avatar was immediately clad in his normal garb, complete with his wrinkled white lab coat. “Dr. Tali Shae, Justice Irons, will you please join me and Malloriah Urh in transporter room 1?” Hunter said.

 Mallory and Hunter walked arm-in-arm from Mlady’s quarters on deck 7, to the transporter room located nearby, drawing a few confused looks from passing crew members.  
 Justice Irons and Dr. Shae arrived a few minutes later and were equally surprised to see their rather brusque, telepathically endowed visitor enjoying a long, romantic embrace in the arms of thier boat’s holographic avatar.  
 “Before the Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for the UFP Office of Non-Localized Communications Studies departs, I believe we need to correct an oversight,” Hunter said.  
 “And what oversight is that, Hunter?” Justice Irons asked, completely mystified.  
  “According to Star Fleet protocol, we are required to file a joint disclosure of intimate relations with an executive officer and the medical director,” Hunter replied.  
 “A… what???” Irons asked, deeply confused for the first time in many long years.  
 Hunter responded by taking Mallory into his arms and leaning her back for a deep, dramatic kiss. She giggled as he brought her back to standing upright. She turned and almost flounced onto the transporter pad. Years had vanished from her face and she looked for a moment like a little girl with big, laughing eyes.  
  Justice Irons, Dr. Shae and Midshipman Tammy Brazil simply stood staring, slack-jawed at the two.  
 “Midshipman Brazil,” Hunter said. “Mallory is ready to transport over to the Hood. You may energize.”  
 Brazil moved her fingers over the transporter control sliders as though for the first time. “Energizing,” she heard herself say.  
  After Mallory was beamed off the pad, Hunter turned and walked through the door - without opening it. Simply appearing to step through it.  
 Irons, Shae and Brazil remained standing, staring at the door, stunned, still slack-jawed and wide-eyed with disbelief.

6 - BK2

 

 **Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter** :   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - vacant  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. Tauk  
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
         Ensign T’Lon  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character:                        Midshipman Tammy Brazil (Tammy)  
> Human Ethnicity:             Brazillian  
> Additional Species:          Bajoran  
> Hometown/Homeworld:  Trantor, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode        6.11  
> Age when introduced:     40  
> Role:                                Transporter Chief Engineer, U.S.S. Hunter


	58. Episode 7.1 - The Great Mushroom: Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Justice Irons has been assigned a case involving precognition and the Hunter and crew are sent to Pillo - only to find themselves at the brink of a civil war...
> 
> Kenny Dolphin has been having recurring nightmares. It's been two weeks and neither he nor T'Lon have gotten any better...
> 
>  _Carrera pointed at Dolphin’s head. “I think he’s got a vulcan in there with him. If I’m right, they’re going to need to go to Mount Seleya on Vulcan. And soon...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> It's always fun to write stories that mess with time. My favorite line in all of Star Trek comes from DS9 when 2 versions of Miles O'Brian say in unison "I hate temporal mechanics..."

****Star Trek Hunter****  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 1 - Nightmares

**7 - The Great Mushroom**

_“I grew up wanting to be a pilot and only started to live that dream after failing at law and making such a mess of my academic career that I very nearly got the entire university incinerated - I could fairly say all the ruckus over my work has given the word ‘philosopher’ a black eye.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin, Interview on Subspace Radio Ivonovic._

7.1  
Nightmares

            Starlight was crying inconsolably. Anyone would cry if someone were cutting off the tips of her earlobes. “But we can’t have you looking like a vulcan, baby. No one can know that you’re vulcan,” Dolphin heard himself saying. But it wasn’t the pain that was making T’Lon cry. It was the wrenching terror of having her soul burned out by acid. Not the pain - the terror that death wasn’t real and that her soul would have to reside somewhere else, forever mute and powerless. Constrained to helplessly watch her soulless body go on without her. Just a machine, doing what others told it to do.  
            “Not one ghost,” said T’Lok, her cold, dead eyes glowing through her closed eyelids, seaweed in her hair. “Not one ghost. Two ghosts. Why would you do that to me?” Somewhere in the distance, from deep underwater came the sound of piano music - a piano played by a madman - a genius - creating hair-raising sounds. Some ancient piece of music by Rimsky-Korsakov. Lt. Tauk coughed hard, again and again, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. The music shifted gradually to a slower, incredibly sad melody, played with a sensitivity that only a master could evoke from the instrument. Softly, quietly, it drowned out Starlight’s incessant, girlish coughing and howling. Kenny Dolphin held onto the sound of the piano desperately and let it slowly draw him out of the nightmare.

            He was in his sleeping/escape pod. Many of his nightmares included waking up in this pod only to find it full of seawater, buried in some ancient tomb, or drifting into the corona of a star. Dolphin shook his head to try to clear the nightmare, but the piano kept playing. It seemed like several minutes before he gradually realized he was actually listening to the sound of a piano being played in the director’s lounge, just outside his pod. Played brilliantly. Dolphin had never really appreciated music, but this pianist’s brilliance would be evident to anyone. Such incredible control - not for its own sake - but to enable the instrument to speak directly to his soul. He had never heard anything like it - or if he had, he had never before noticed.

            Dolphin found himself holding his breath as the last hum of the song faded into hushed silence. He donned his uniform before opening the pod. Lt. Tauk, Dr. Carrera and Investigator Buttons were talking. The holographic emitters were still projecting a white, baby grand piano that filled the open space in the lounge. Carrera had just joined Buttons on one of the couches. He stood up and called for Hunter to discontiue the piano as soon as Dolphin came out of his pod. 

            “Lt. Dolphin - I’m so sorry,” Carrera said, “I didn’t know you were sleeping…”  
            “Please don’t be,” Dolphin replied. “You woke me from a nightmare. I’ve never heard anything so beautiful.” He wandered over to the replicator and obtained a glass of water. He spared a moment to look at Tauk. The nightmares had started the first night after T’Lon’s Pon Farr had ended, but this was the first time they had included Tauk.  
            Tauk had a concerned look on his face. “Same dream?”  
            Dolphin was glad of Tauk’s promotion to 1st lieutenant. Tauk tended to work shift A and Dolphin typically worked shift B, but since Tauk had moved into the director’s lounge, the place felt far less empty. Dolphin wasn’t certain he could have taken the nightmares without the young ferengi’s presence.  
            “You need to go to medical,” Tauk continued. “If not Dr. Tali Shae, then one of the other doctors.”  
            “Nightmares?” asked Carrera.  
            Dolphin wasn’t certain he wanted to talk about it, but he was glad that Carrera was there. Recently, Carrera and Buttons had spent more time in the director’s lounge as well.  
            “They started right after that thing with T’Lon ended,” said Tauk.  
            “T’Lon hasn’t been herself since then either,” Buttons observed.  
            Carrera leaned back into Buttons’ arms and relaxed. Then sat up suddenly. “Nightmares about T’Lon?”  
            “Always,” Dolphin replied. “Only sometimes she’s my daughter and sometimes it’s T’Lok, but it’s always T’Lon, She’s always crying. And screaming. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s been non-stop.”  
            “You don’t need to see a doctor,” Carrera said. “You need to see Tomos. You and T’Lon together. He isn’t a strong telepath, but he’s the best we’ve got.”  
            “What do you suspect?” Buttons asked.  
            Carrera pointed at Dolphin’s head. “I think he’s got a vulcan in there with him. If I’m right, they’re going to need to go to Mount Seleya on Vulcan. And soon.”

            At that moment the communication system brought Justice Irons’ voice into the room. “Senior staff meeting in 30 minutes. Executive conference room.”

            “Let’s get Tomos and T’Lon in here, now,” said Buttons.  
            “Not here,” Tauk countered. “No time. Get them to the executive conference room.” He turned to Carrera. “You get Tomos - I’ll get T’Lon.”

7.1

 

 **Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:**   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - vacant  
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
         Ensign T’Lon  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	59. Episode 7.2 - The Great Mushroom: Case Assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> At Large Appellate Justice Minerva Irons has her work cut out for her - a case involving intellectual property rights and precognition...  
>  _“I have been assigned a case involving precognition and intellectual property rights,” Justice Irons began._  
>  _“I don’t envy you that assignment,” Dr. Tali Shae interjected._  
>  _“Well, fortunately, I had no foreknowledge of this assignment,” Irons observed dryly..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> It's always fun to mess with time in these stories. Time travel stories are just way overdone. 
> 
> But precognition - well - I just knew I'd be writing a story about precognition someday. It came to me in a vision...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 2 - Case Assignment

7.2  
Case Assignment 

            Justice Minerva Irons walked into the executive conference room only to find a number of people she had not invited - specifically Ensign T’Lon, Flight Engineer Tomos and 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek.   
            The executive staff and department directors were there as well. Lt. Kenny Dolphin was still gaunt and haunted looking - as was T’Lon. Neither seemed to have improved since the end of T’Lon’s Pon Farr, but there was a new look of determination on Dolphin’s face. Irons could tell that her other department directors, particularly Tauk and Carrera, shared that look.

            “I take it we have a new item on the agenda?” Irons observed.  
            T’Lon was the first to respond - if somewhat mechanically. “It appears I am needed on Vulcan. I believe I have sufficient leave available.”  
            Tomos spoke up. It was the first time he had been in this room and the first time Irons had heard the vulcan engineer’s voice since he joined the crew. “I confirmed it just a few minutes ago. Somehow T’Lon transferred her katra to Dr. Dolphin while they were mind-melded during Pon Farr. She might have been continually transferring herself since her symptoms were so extreme - her katra was being burned out of her. So she gave it to him for safe keeping.”  
            Lt. Tauk chimed in. “That would explain the nightmares every night.”  
            Irons, Tali Shae, Pep and Mlady all turned to look at the ferengi.  
            “He’s been dreaming about T’Lon every night,” Tauk continued, then turned toward Dolphin. “Tell them.”  
            Dolphin looked around the room, hesitated, then rolled his head back. He looked exhausted. “I thought it was just having gone through all this with her. I keep hearing her crying and screaming in my dreams. I thought it would go away, but it just keeps getting worse.”

             T’Lon had no reaction.

             Dr. Tali Shae was exasperated. “And if your arm snaps off do you wander around for two weeks thinking it’s just going to get better on its own?”  
            Justice Irons clicked her fingernail loudly against the table. Her right wrist was finally free from its splint. “We have been ordered to Pillo. It would take weeks for the wagon to get to Vulcan from here at top warp. I assume that is why Lieutenant Moon is here?”  
            “Weeks in the wagon, less than three days in the tactical unit using recursive warp,” said Dr. Carrera.  
            “Which has yet to be tested,” Irons observed.  
            “No time like the present,” Carrera responded. “Dr. Moon helped me design that unit. She knows the specifications better than anyone.”  
            “I know that Lieutenant Moon is a qualified pilot,” Irons said, “but she hasn’t logged a lot of flight hours…”  
            Dolphin spoke up. “I can still fly. T’Lon is also qualified on the tactical unit, so we won’t lack for pilots. We just need to make sure one of us is awake at all times.”  
            Irons turned toward the junior officers. “Lieutenant Moon, Mr. Tomos - please ready the tactical unit. Ensign T’Lon, please prepare your squad for your absence and then assist with the tactical unit. Lieutenant Dolphin will join you following the senior staff meeting. Which begins now,” she said, turning her attention to her department directors.

  
\- * -

            “You have to send us someone else. Justice Irons has already made up her mind. We know she will rule against us.” Pillo Planetary Administrator John Westinghall was adamant. After hours on the line with Star Fleet, he had finally managed to get Fleet Admiral Stewart on the line. He could already tell it was not working - he had already seen this skeptical expression and knew the moment the admiral appeared on the screen that this appeal was going nowhere.   
            “Mr. Westinghall,” Admiral Miriam Stewart replied, “I understand your concern, but Star Fleet does not assign justices. Even though Captain Irons is a Star Fleet officer, she is coming to you under the authority of her civilian office. Captain Irons’ judicial assignments come from the Tribunal. You must appeal to them. Now I’m really very sorry, but I am required elsewhere, if there is nothing else…”  
            Westinghall had to admit there was nothing else the admiral could do for him. He felt somewhat embarrassed he had wasted the time of the third highest officer in Star Fleet.

             At that same moment, Sally Chesticut, the mayor of Porte Abello, Pillo’s capital (and only) city, had managed to get through to Tribunal Justice Cisl Mreek. And was having even less luck pleading her case. “But the justice has already made up her mind. I’ve seen it.”  
            “I thought as much, Mayor,” snapped the irritated looking tellarite. Of course all tellarites tended to look and sound irritated, but in this case, the Tribunal Justice was clearly outraged. “This trial is all about using premonitions to cheat, and here you are trying to use premonitions to cheat!! You think you know the outcome, so you try to switch judges. You deserve what you get - I have no more time for you!”   
            The screen instantly going blank as the Tribunal Justice cut the transmission off was a mercy after her short, but pointed tirade.

\- * -

             “I have been assigned a case involving precognition and intellectual property rights,” Justice Irons began.  
             “I don’t envy you that assignment,” Dr. Tali Shae interjected.  
            “Well, fortunately, I had no foreknowledge of this assignment,” Irons observed dryly. “We are to go to Pillo, one of the Federation’s newer colonies, established about 20 years ago.”  
            “I’ve had a look at the case-file,” said Pep. “We may be in orbit of Pillo for a year or two on this one.”  
            “Years???” Tauk asked, eyes widening.  
            Justice Irons rolled her eyes. “Pillo is one of our first colonies in a brown dwarf system. The planet’s orbital period is about eight days. Also, in case you are interested, the planet’s rotation is retrograde, meaning the orientation of east and west to north and south is inverted compared to what you are used to.”  
            Dr. Carrera spoke up. “The Federation has long been interested in establishing colonies in brown dwarf systems. Pillo was chosen because the planet’s orbit is very stable and it has a rotation period that allows the entire planet to be warmed. Because it is getting its warmth from a brown dwarf, the planet is much closer to its star than “M” class planets orbiting white stars. Pillo was also chosen because the star appears to be exceptionally stable. If it turns out to be viable, this kind of colonization could open up thousands of new planets within Federation space for colonization.”  
            “Which is why I want this colony explored thoroughly,” Irons rejoined. “David, please set up a crew rotation that will maximize crew interaction with the colonists and at the same time provide some recreation for our crew. I would like everyone to get some leisure time planetside and while there, get a sense for what the quality of life is and also find out if anything weird is going on. One strange thing we are aware of - many of Pillo’s residents report various levels of precognition. So have our people sensitized to that as well.”  
            Mlady spoke up. “What do we do if we or other crew members begin experiencing premonitions?”  
            “Remember your orientation on time-travel and treat it as such,” Irons replied. “Use your best judgement and avoid second-guessing yourself based on these premonitions. Take them at face-value and remember that while what you see may come to pass, the context may be completely different from your initial assumptions.”  
 Irons turned toward her newly appointed director of ground operations. “Lieutenant Tauk, please share your thoughts about reorganizing your department.”  
            Tauk coughed, took a drink, then started, “Based on her past performance, Ensign T’Lon has earned a promotion to 2nd lieutenant and she meets all the qualifications. But considering her current condition, I would like to hold off on that for now. Hopefully, her trip to Vulcan along with Director Dolphin will help her get back to normal. But in her current condition, I want to limit her exposure to making life and death decisions. Which means that I cannot have her commanding the tactical squad - they face life and death decisions continually on every mission.  So I would like to put T’Lon in charge of the investigations unit. Buttons and Shran are pretty good at taking care of themselves and mentally, T’Lon is just as sharp as she has ever been.”  
            Tauk took a drink, cleared his throat, then turned toward Dr. Tali Shae. “I have had my eye on one of your people - an ambitious officer who has just been licensed by the Tribunal to practice Federation law. I would like to promote Midshipman Tolon to Ensign, transfer him from Medical to Ground Ops and put him in charge of the tactical unit.”  
            “You can have him,” Tali Shae responded. “He has volunteered a few shifts at the bridge tactical station and I would rather not have staff with divided loyalties.” There was a rare playfulness to her tone. “Actually, he is a fine officer and I’m glad you are thinking of him. He clearly wants to move up and from everything I can tell, he’s ready for it.”

            Irons gave the ferengi a long, evaluating look, then said, “Approved.” She looked around the room. “Anything else?” She clicked a fingernail against the table slowly, three times. “We are adjourned.”

7.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character:                      Planetary Administrator John Westinghall  
> Human Ethnicity:            British  
> Additional Species:        N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Oxford, England, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode       7.2  
> Age when introduced:    31  
> Role:                               Planetary Administrator, Pillo
> 
> Character:                      Fleet Admiral Miriam Stewart (Miriam)  
> Human Ethnicity:            African American  
> Additional Species:        N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Washington, D.C., Earth  
> Introduced: Episode       7.2  
> Age when introduced:     86  
> Role:                               Director of Star Fleet Operations
> 
> Character:                      Mayor Sally Chesticut  
> Human Ethnicity:            Tunisian  
> Additional Species:         N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld:  Barclaw, Tunisia, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode        7.2  
> Age when introduced:     51  
> Role:                                Mayor of Porte Abello, Pillo
> 
> Character:                      Justice Cisl Mreek  
> Human Ethnicity:            N/A  
> Additional Species:         Tellerite  
> Hometown/Homeworld:  Trantor, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode        7.2  
> Age when introduced:     60  
> Role:                               Federation Tribunal Justice


	60. Episode 7.3 - The Great Mushroom: Night Life in Porte Abello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Ensign Tolon is getting used to his new assignment as coordinator of the Ground Operations tactical squad. And of course, there's a bar fight...
> 
>  _There was only one thing in this bar larger than the nausicaans. He had been sitting nearby, but most people seemed to have mistaken him for a half-wall or perhaps a refrigerator..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I sometimes use the term tactical unit to refer to the tactical squad - Jarrong, Belo Rys, Belo Garr and Belo Cantys. These four characters are close relatives. As their names suggest, Rys, Garr and Cantys are half-siblings - same bajoran mother, different cardassian fathers. Jarrong is their cousin - her bajoran grandmother is a cousin to their mother. Jarrong is 1/4 bajoran, 3/4 cardassian.
> 
> The Hunter's tactical unit is an independently warp capable section of the ship that can detach for separate missions or an advantage in combat.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 3 - Night Life in Porte Abello

7.3  
Night Life in Porte Abello 

            The Hunter’s crew were out sampling the night life in Porte Abello. There was no other life on Pillo to sample. Even though their planet was not much further from its sun than the moon from the earth, no one on Pillo ever saw the sun. They lived under an unbroken canopy of mushrooms that drank the light of the brown dwarf star, broke it into thousands of different colors, and sent them - primary, pastel and fluorescent - in thin individually colored glowing strands to the ground below, which was covered with another mossy version of mushroom that pulsed with ever changing arrays of colors that responded to people who walked over them, leaving a trail of brief brightly colored footprints within a vast pulsating carpet of color.  
            There was no keeping either these brightly colored strands or the carpet out of any buildings - not that there were many. Bars, food courts, offices, residences were tucked into various spaces among the giant stalks of enormous mushrooms. Somehow between space and the layout of the mushrooms, these uses were able to coexist within a single, sprawling city of more than a quarter million humans, denobulans, andorians, bajorans, and many others - all of them bathed in the light of millions of tiny brightly colored glowing strands that left dark corners everywhere but conspired to provide a comfortable general illumination.

             “Lots and lots and lo-o-ots of nausicaans,” observed Belo Garr, just a little loudly so his companions could hear him over the pounding music.  
           “They have to spend their winnings somewhere,” Belo Rys half-shouted. “Apparently they really like that mushroom wine.”  
            “They’re not the only ones,” Garr said. “But I’ve gotten a whiff of it. I think I’ll pass.”  
            “That would be wise.” Ensign Tolon Reeves was new to the squad and was still working on developing his rapport with them. A few wrestling matches with Garr and Jarrong had helped break the ice - Tolon was dark-skinned, shorter, heavier and much older than his new charges. They had found quickly when wrestling him he was both tremendously strong and an expert wrestler. “We don’t know exactly what effects that wine might have. I examined some of it and there are a lot of chemical variations I simply haven’t seen before,” Tolon continued. Although, like the tactical squad members, Tolon was part bajoran, his sing-song accent betrayed his many decades in Bangalore, India.  
            “Maybe that wine is the reason for everyone around here getting spooky visions,” Jarrong opined, having to speak even more loudly as the music seemed to be in a mood to compete with a roaring warp engine.  
            Tolon looked at her. “Well, we have no reports of the nausicaans getting premonitions - either they are immune to these effects or they are being uncharacteristically secretive about it.”  
            “I’d count that as a blessing,” said Garr. “Pirates with premonitions - I’d prefer not.”  
            “Most nausicaans are not pirates and the vast majority of pirates are human,” said Ensign Tolon, managing to make himself heard over the music while speaking quietly. “Let’s avoid painting with an insufficiently detailed brush.”  
            That statement earned him four confused looks.   
            “You four are..” Tolon Reeves started, then he started over, “well, let me put it this way.. I rely on you to notice the fine details. If a fight gets started the last thing I want you to do is jump to the wrong conclusions because a nausicaan is involved. You need to get these things right before they happen. Open mind, open eyes.” He emphasized the last statement by widening his eyes, which drew a quick laugh.

             At that moment two nausicaans stood up, turning over the table they had been sitting at, throwing drinks, cards and chips across the floor and all over the three humans who had been sitting across from them. One of the nausicaans stepped easily over the overturned table, single-handedly lifted a fairly large man by his collar and threw him halfway across the room.

            “And sometimes things are exactly as they appear,” Tolon concluded.   
            “Should we intervene?” Belo Cantys asked.   
            “We’re guests in this bar… I’m sure there is a local… oh crap…” Tolon did not have to explain his last exclamation - his squad quickly noticed what he had noticed. There was only one thing in this bar larger than the nausicaans. He had been sitting nearby, but most people seemed to have mistaken him for a half-wall or perhaps a refrigerator.  
             Commander David Pepper rose from his chair, walked up behind the nausicaans and said, “Hello boys, why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”  
            The nausicaans were both clearly in the mood for a fight and both sized up their new opponent appreciatively. They were almost as tall as the 7-foot giant, but the two of them together were probably only slightly larger than him.  
            Then Pep started to dance - an odd combination of boxing moves with something like belly dancing. And he was good. And probably a little drunk. His enormous body bent, ducked, slided, shuffled, bobbed and weaved with unexpected grace, evading his opponent’s attempts to strike or grapple him.   
            Somehow it worked. The nausicaans - who were evidently a little drunk themselves - threw punch after punch, boxing the giant in from both sides and managed to not land a single blow - although they did manage to slam their fists into each the others’ at one point.  
            It was a good thing no weapons were allowed in the bar - nausicaans were fond of swords and were quite skilled with them.  
            After a few minutes, Pep said, “Aw fellows,” his enormous fists came up with surprising speed and accuracy to deliver a right jab to one and a left jab to the other of his opponents at almost the same moment, causing both to topple to the floor. One was unconscious, the other semi-conscious - moving but not getting up right away. “And I was hoping for a challenge… No hard feelings fellows. Thanks for the dance!”

            Tolon Reeves was smiling. “Our commander just became welcome in every nausicaan home and camp on this planet.”  
            “By clobbering two of them?” asked Jarrong.  
            “Oh yes. And he’ll probably have to fight every single one of them, now. There are few things nausicaans like better than a good fight,” Tolon responded.  
            “Note he did not say a fair fight…” Garr observed.

  
7.3


	61. Episode 7.4 - The Great Mushroom: Trying Their Patents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Day 2 of the trial on Pillo regarding intellectual property and precognition. A case that would try anyone's patience...
> 
>  _“Administrator, how many judges do you see in this room??!!”_  
>  _Mayor Sally Chesticut, whose mayoral duties included adjudicating disputes, started tentatively to raise her hand. Her lawyer, without looking at her, caught her wrist and gently but firmly guided her hand back down to the plaintiff’s mushroom. She turned to look at her lawyer, who, without turning to look at her, shook his head very slowly._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is a long passage, but hopefully combines an interesting sci-fi concept with some shroomy humor. 
> 
> With Mayor Chestnut and Planetary Administrator Westinghall I get to riff on the idea of two governmental bodies that serve the same purpose - the entire planetary population of Pillo lives in Porte Abello. I'm also riffing on the oft used trope - going all the way back to Oedipus - that precognition can send you off on the wrong track because you may be missing context.
> 
> It also provides me the opportunity to list out Dr. Carrera's accomplishments, starting with a Ph.D. in mathematics at age 13.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 4 - Trying Their Patents

7.4  
Trying Their Patents

             Justice Minerva Irons was getting tired of dreaming about the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and other characters from Alice in Wonderland. She had no idea why - she had never read the book or even a review. But after all these centuries, the characters were still iconic and omnipresent, even if she had no idea what they stood for. It made a sort of rough sense: she was dreaming about the hookah-smoking caterpillar while sleeping on a soft bed of mushrooms in the midst of a vast forest of gigantic mushrooms. It was still annoying.

            But the relentless hatter and omnipresent caterpillar were nowhere near as annoying as this case she had been sent to try. It was made even worse because the two primary litigants - Planetary Administrator John Westinghall and Mayor Sally Chesticut - both acted as though they had already lost the case. Both sides were completely failing to put on a case. Given the unbelievably poor performance of the litigants on both sides, the abysmal state of the case notes and the complete lack of precedent, Irons had to admit she was no wiser about this case than when she arrived. Neither of the litigants seemed to want to talk to her or even to try the case at all. 

            Mysteries like this were why Irons had an investigative team. Tauk, Buttons and Shran had found some very interesting communications that shed light on the mood of the litigants. At the same time, Dr. Carrera had weighed in on the technical evidence - and his opinion was devastating to both sides of this case.

             “All right.” Justice Irons called the court to session on the second morning of this trial with a squawk. The squawk came from the bizarre gavel she had been given that was connected by a flexible tube to the judicial bench, which, like all of the other furniture in this courtroom appeared to have been sculpted from living mushrooms. Apparently the inhabitants of Pillo had developed a method for shaping the ever-present mushrooms to their needs and this courtroom, one of the oldest public spaces in Porte Abello, was entirely furnished, decorated and lighted by the local flora.  
            The room wasn’t even a room - it was a space defined by walls of giant living mushroom stalks, lit from below by a glowing carpet of mushrooms and from high above by the ever-present glowing strands that were bundled in great numbers, creating a glowing ceiling of many different colored lights. The room could only be entered from the open public area toward the back of the room or the judge’s chamber behind the bench by pushing aside more bundles of these brightly colored glowing strands. It was an impressive accomplishment.  
            As impressive as this room was, Justice Irons felt more than a little silly opening court by striking a mushroom with a squawking mushroom while sitting on a mushroom, which action permitted everyone else in the room to sit on other mushrooms while the court reporter sat on a mushroom behind a mushroom to the side of the plaintiff and defendants and their lawyers, sitting on mushrooms behind their own separate mushrooms.

             “Administrator Westinghall,” Irons started, addressing the defendant, “I understand you put in a call to Fleet Admiral Miriam Stewart to try to have me reassigned.” She turned her attention toward the plaintiff’s mushroom, “And Mayor Chesticut, did you speak to Tribunal Justice Mreek in a similar attempt to have me replaced by another appellate justice?”  
            Before either the defendant or the plaintiff could respond, lawyers for both objected: “Your honor, on behalf of the plaintiff I have to object to this line of questioning due to personal bias…” “I also object…”  
            “I’ll be the judge of that, overruled” Irons snapped.  
            “But your honor…” Planetary Administrator John Westinghall started, then thought better as Irons’ face immediately reflected her infamous judicial fury - made even more terrifying by her amazing beauty. In her role as a justice, Irons had been compared to an avenging angel and at this moment she very much looked the part.  
            “Administrator, how many judges do you see in this room??!!”  
            Mayor Sally Chesticut, whose mayoral duties included adjudicating disputes, started tentatively to raise her hand. Her lawyer, without looking at her, caught her wrist and gently but firmly guided her hand back down to the plaintiff’s mushroom. She turned to look at her lawyer, who, without turning to look at her, shook his head very slowly.  
            “My apologies, your honor, only you,” Westinghall wisely replied.  
            Irons leaned back into her mushroom and closed her eyes. “So tell me, precisely and in great detail, what led you to believe that I would rule against you?”  
            “I saw you reprimanding…” Westinghall started.  
            At the same moment, Sally Chesticut said, “I saw my team discussing how we could…”  
            The defendant and plaintiff both stopped and looked at each other in considerable confusion.  
            Irons sat up and smiled grimly. “You didn’t know that both of you thought you were going to lose this case. Well, if my ruling makes you both unhappy, then it must be one of the better rulings of my judicial career. Not that I have a clue at the moment what that ruling will be. And, let me emphasize this, and neither do either of you. But perhaps we will all have a better idea once Dr. Carrera provides his expert opinion about the patents this case is based on.”

             Federation civil law allowed justices at the appellate level and higher to supplement testimony from the defense and the plaintiff with additional expert witnesses if, in the judges’ opinion, a salient point of the evidence had not been addressed by either the witnesses for the plaintiff or the defense - a feature of vulcan jurisprudence that had been adopted into the tribunal charter.

             Dr. Carrera sat down on a mushroom and spread a number of electronic readers on the witness mushroom that he was seated behind. “As you know, the issue of this case is the validity of the patents filed on behalf of the people of Pillo by the planetary government as directed by Planetary Administrator Westinghall. These patents are based on inventions that have not yet been invented, but that various residents have had premonitions about using, helping to manufacture or even helping to draft or invent. More than 300 such patents have been granted, some relating to items that will, allegedly, be invented by future residents of Pillo, some of whom have yet to emigrate to this planet and others who may not yet have been born.”  
            “While all of the testimony in this trial has been about whether such premonitions fall under the time-travel laws or whether these represent a new area of law and whether these patents may be unfair to the future inventors and might even prevent some of them from emigrating to Pillo,” Carrera continued, “no one has argued the validity of the patents themselves.”  
            Dr. Carrera lifted one of the readers, turned it toward the room and held his finger on a scan button, causing the readout to flicker through thousands of pages faster than the human eye could follow. “I have reviewed each and every one of 354 patent applications based on these premonitions.” He dropped the reader onto the mushroom for emphasis. “They’re all garbage. Each and every one of them. Not a single one of these patents describes a machine that I could possibly build from the schematics provided. While several describe some manufacturing technique or some function of the item, I could not take a single one of these patents and build a functioning device without inventing more than half of the device myself.”  
            One of Westinghall’s lawyers stood up, evidently not impressed by a young witness who looked even younger than his 23 years, “For the record, could you explain your level of expertise with patents?”  
            Justice Irons leaned forward in amusement. “Dr. Carrera, please respond in detail. This is not a time to be humble…”  
            Carrera looked at Irons, gave her a quick wink, then turned back to respond. “Ten years ago I earned a doctorate in mathematics from the Daystrom Institute. Since then I have been presented honorary doctorates by the Daystrom Institute, the Vulcan Science Academy, Juliard University and the Vulcan Academy for the Arts in Warp Field Engineering, Structural Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry, Astro Physics, Mathematics, Advanced Warp Theory, Starship Design, Ethics and Personal Development of Sentient Holograms, Music specializing in Piano Performance and Vulcan Music Theory. On behalf of the Daystrom Institute, I have personally filed 662 patents related to hologram behavioral development, warp engine design, warp field design and starship design, most of them related to the development of Star Fleet’s first fully artificially intelligent manned space vessel, for which I served as one of the lead designers and on which I now serve as the Director of Engineering. I hold the rank of 1st Lieutenant in Star Fleet and have been authorized by the Federation Tribunal to practice Federation law with a specialty in engineering.”  
            Westinghall’s lawyer seemed to wilt during this recitation. He managed, “Thank you, Dr. Carrera. I suppose now I know why everyone refers to you as ‘Doctor Carrera’.”

             Justice Irons smiled again, finally relaxed. “Do we have any final arguments?”  
            The lawyers at both mushrooms consulted briefly with their clients.  Administrator Westinghall’s lawyer stood up again. “The defense rests, your honor.”  
            Mayor Chesticut’s lawyer also stood. “Your honor, the plaintiff also rests.”  
            Irons was not surprised. If there had been any fight left on either side, it was long gone by now. “I need some time to consider my ruling,” she said, then lifted the mushroom. “Court is in recess until tomorrow morning.” She struck the mushroom with the mushroom, ending the session with a now appropriate sounding squawk.  


7.4


	62. Episode 7.5 - The Great Mushroom: Temple on Mt. Seleya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin and T'Lon are recovering from the fal-tor-pan ritual on Mt. Seleya 
> 
> _...In all of that discussion, they had somehow failed to get across how astoundingly unpleasant this process would be. Dolphin felt as if someone had run his brain through a cheese grater, balled it up, squeezed it and ran the remains through a sieve..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I am very interested in the direction the relationship between Dolphin and T'Lon takes moving forward from this moment in their lives. This is the part of a love story that I cannot remember seeing any author treat. But I know such things happen in real life - been there.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 5 - Temple on Mt. Seleya

7.5  
Temple on Mt. Seleya 

            Kenny Dolphin lay on a bed in a room in the back of the temple on Mt. Seleya, putting his mind back together for what seemed the twentieth time. Several very old and very dignified vulcans had warned both him and T’Lon very solemnly and at great length and detail that the fal-tor-pan - the ancient ritual that might possibly, if it were there, remove T’Lon’s katra from Dolphin’s head and, even more remotely possibly, reinstall this unidentified and very loosely defined essence back into T’Lon from whence, some very ancient vulcans had argued very long ago, it might have originated - would be very dangerous to both of them.  
            In all of that discussion, they had somehow failed to get across how astoundingly unpleasant this process would be. Dolphin felt as if someone had run his brain through a cheese grater, balled it up, squeezed it and ran the remains through a sieve. He could tell something had been removed and hoped that they had taken the appropriate bits out and put the correct bits back in. Evidently it was up to him to knit what they had stuffed back into his head back into some sort of coherent whole.  
            He sat up, drank some water that clearly had far too few other chemicals in it and looked for some sort of pills that might help numb the pounding headache. Apparently vulcan priests were not long on providing pills or much of anything else for their victims.

             Then T’Lon walked into the room and suddenly everything was better. There was something about her eyes - she was back.   
             Dolphin leapt to his feet and almost tackle-hugged her.

             “I do not require holding,” T’Lon said.  
            Dolphin released her in some embarrassment and stepped back.  
            “Lay down on your side,” she said.  
            Without a word, Dolphin laid down on the bed, facing her.  
            “Other side,” T’Lon said.  
            Dolphin rolled over. T’Lon laid down behind him, drew herself close and wrapped an arm around him.  
            “I thought you said you don’t require holding,” he said.  
            “The same is not true for you.”  
           Dolphin teared up a little and was glad he was facing away from her. For quite some time they simply lay there. T’Lon was not in contact him telepathically - which was a relief. Over the past month far too many other people had been inside his head - only a few hours ago there had been at least a half dozen vulcans in there and Dolphin was very happy to have his head to himself for a while.

            After several minutes of silence, T’Lon said, “I have two sets of memories,”  
            Dolphin just listened.  
            “I said I thought I should feel grateful to you. I remember saying that. And I remember seeing me say that through your eyes. And I wanted to make myself say that I do feel grateful to you. You saved my life. At least twice.” She laid her face against his back.  
            She could hear the catch in his breathing. And felt him move slightly, just a little uncomfortably.  
            “I know how you feel about me, Kenny Dolphin. Conflicted. You loved being with me.”  
            Dolphin responded quietly, “yes…more than anything in my life…”  
            “But you kept conflating me with your daughter.”  
            “Yeah, that was uncomfortable. I couldn’t help it. Didn’t know why. It wasn’t just age.. Especially toward the end..” Dolphin said.  
            “I am not your daughter, Kenny Dolphin. And I am no longer your lover.” T’Lon felt Dolphin relax, tension slowly leaving his body. “But I will always be your friend.”  
            Dolphin took a slow breath. “Yeah, I never really figured out that whole… male… female… friend… bonding… platonic… sort of thing…” He was clearly exhausted, stumbling over and slurring his words. For the first time in more than a month, since his first night on Ocean, Kenny Dolphin fell into a deep, peaceful and desperately needed sleep.  
            T’Lon pressed her face against Dolphin’s back, holding him as he slept. “You will,” she said quietly.  


7.5


	63. Episode 7.6 - The Great Mushroom: One Mushroom to Rule Them All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The Hunter's 2nd officer and exobiologist, Lt. Cmdr. Mlady, makes a remarkable discovery about Pillo's native flora...
> 
>  _“These people eat mushrooms, drink mushroom sap, sleep on mushrooms, breathe mushrooms, make their furniture and homes out of mushrooms and see by the light of bioluminescent mushrooms,” Tali Shae said. She reached up to scratch her head and one of her antennae slapped her hand. She quickly withdrew her hand from her head, only to scratch her arms..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Mushrooms are the most massive individual life forms on Earth. What appears to be a field of mushrooms is often an individual interconnected by filaments underground.
> 
> Again, trying to work a little science fiction into my science fiction... It's also a good opportunity to riff on Tolkien...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 6 - One Mushroom to Rule Them All

7.6  
One Mushroom to Rule Them All 

            Mlady had collected thousands of samples. Instead of bringing these up to the Hunter, she created a lab in the area on Pillo that served as her quarters - an area almost the size of the entire deck her quarters on the Hunter were located on. Since the Hunter did not have a life sciences department, the medical department stepped in to fill that role at need.  
            Dr. Tali Shae and Dr. Sif were assisting with Mlady’s research on the ground, observing the behavior and diet of the local population, taking samples and wielding tricorders. Dr. Chrissiana Trei remained onboard the Hunter to process information being continually uploaded by the ground team.

             “These people eat mushrooms, drink mushroom sap, sleep on mushrooms, breathe mushrooms, make their furniture and homes out of mushrooms and see by the light of bioluminescent mushrooms,” Tali Shae said. She reached up to scratch her head and one of her antennae slapped her hand. She quickly withdrew her hand from her head, only to scratch her arms.  
            Dr. Sif was laying on her belly, studying the bioluminescent carpet of mushroom in close detail. She looked up at Dr. Tali Shae. “Have you tried the mushroom shower?”  
            “There is no way I am stepping into a carnivorous mushroom,” Tali Shae responded.  
            Sif rejoined, “Well, I was itching like that and they suggested I try it. There are spores in the air and they collect on your skin. It is a little on the intimate side, but when you step into the pod, the tendrils brush your skin, removing the spores and start to exfoliate you. As long as you’re not in there for more than 20 minutes, you’ll be okay. They even use the tendrils from the pod to clean their teeth. You just open your mouth while you’re in there and the tendrils will go after your teeth. It feels weird while you’re in there, but it feels really, really clean afterward. Just be sure to keep your eyes closed until you get out.”  
            “How did they figure out that use?” Tali Shae asked. “Seriously, did some bright person say ‘Oh, look - that mushroom resembles a pod from a Venus Flytrap. I think I’ll go stand inside it and see what happens..’”  
            Dr. Sif didn’t look up. She was still lying on her belly, kicking and twining her feet in the air behind her as she continued her careful study of the bioluminescent carpet. Her spots were smaller than average for a trill, giving her something of a freckled look, which along with her reddish hair tied into pigtails made her appear rather girlish. “Someone stumbled into it,” she said, lightly.  
            “But how did they stumble into it?” Dr. Tali Shae sounded just a little exasperated.  
            “Well, as it was explained to me, it went something like: ‘oops, I tripped. Oops, I’m falling… Hey, this mushroom thing just closed around me, I’m trapped…’ Then after a few minutes he figured out where to tickle it to get it to open and noticed when he got out that he was clean.” Sif accompanied her explanation with a demonstration by using the fingers of one hand to walk along the glowing carpet and the other hand to act like the enclosing mushroom pod.

            “These mushrooms are just way too convenient,” Tali Shae groused. “There are enough varieties to provide all the nutritional needs for the various bipeds, bioluminescence, providing sufficient radiation to safely meet their nutritional needs, the veins that bring water up to the top can be tapped and provide safe hydration. They provide a breathable atmosphere of oxygen, maintain a constant temperature at this clime of about 26 degrees Celsius, and can be manipulated to form rooms with reasonable privacy or large open public spaces. Not to mention furniture - mushroom beds, mushroom desks, mushroom tables, mushroom chairs - even cabinets. And they had all of this potential before colonization. But they developed it in the absence of native fauna. The only animals here are what the colonists brought with them.”  
            “Incorrect,” said Mlady.  
            “You mean there is local fauna?” Tali Shae asked.  
            “No, you were correct about that,” Mlady responded. “You were incorrect using the plural. I need to travel around this planet and take some samples from other areas to be certain, but I strongly suspect the planet does not have mushrooms.”  
            Tali Shae boggled at her, her antennae describing small circles. “Okay, you’re the exobiologist here, but I think I just heard you say you don’t think there are any mushrooms here,” Tali Shae emphasized her point by tapping her foot on the mushroom carpet, rapping her knuckles on one of the giant mushroom stalks that served as part of the wall for this room.  
            Mlady turned a level gaze on the doctor. “That is not what I said. I said I strongly suspect this planet does not have mushrooms. To be more specific, and I will need to travel around and obtain more samples to confirm this, I believe this planet has one mushroom. The floor you are standing on, the wall you just touched, the bed over there, your lunch - all genetically identical. Not the same species - the same individual. One mushroom.”  
            Dr. Sif was still laying on her belly, still twining and kicking her feet in the air behind her. In a sing-song voice, she intoned, “One mushroom to feed them all. One mushroom to find them. One mushroom to bring them all and in Porte Abello be kind to them.”  
            Tali Shae and Mlady both just looked at her.  
            Sif looked up at them. “Never mind, I was just reminded of a book my half-brother got me to read when I was little.”

7.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: The Great Mushroom  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Mushroom  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Pillo  
> Introduced: Episode 7.6  
> Age when introduced: Unknown  
> Role: Sentient, Telepathic Mushroom that provides a home for the residents of Pillo and also provides prescient visions


	64. Episode 7.7 - The Great Mushroom: They're Playing Our Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Lt. Dolphin and Ensign T'lon are still sorting out the lasting impact of their connection through Pon Farr and the fal-tor-pan. And there is one more item to put to rest...
> 
>  _“There is something I think you should witness. I know you are somewhat weary of telepathic contact at the moment…”_  
>  _“It’s been a bit crowded up here recently,” Dolphin replied, lightly tapping his head..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> One of my readers guessed well in advance that this would be coming. I wrote this chapter back in May, 2019.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 7 - They're Playing Our Song

7.7  
They’re Playing Our Song 

            Lt. Kenny Dolphin found Ensign T’Lon seated on a bench in a gazebo on the middle of a bridge that linked four hilltops, each of which supported tall buildings. This X shaped bridge not only linked the hilltops, but also, from the gazebo in the center of it, afforded stunning views of the side of Mt. Seleya it was situated on, a mountain range to the west and desert plains to the south and east.  
            Dolphin sat next to T’Lon and looked out on the scene. Given his level of exhaustion, the austere beauty and simplicity of the landscape appealed to him. He had been sent to join her. A spare meal and a carafe full of the local, extremely pure water were set on the table.  
            “They’re playing our song,” said T’Lon.  
            Dolphin boggled at her. Of all the things she might have said that made absolutely no sense, this pretty much topped the list. For one thing (of many things), it was almost absolutely silent, despite the sense he had that this part of the bridge often experienced a significant amount of wind.  
            At that moment, a single, very low note sounded from an enormous bell. He could feel the note more than hear it. The reverberations rang on and on, taking nearly ten minutes to fade into silence.  
            “Was that it?” Dolphin asked.  
            T’Lon’s studied look of long suffering, an expression Dolphin had not seen since the first week he had known her, returned. “The song is 27 hours long - one full day.”  
            Dolphin watched her, but she gave every appearance of having concluded her explanation.  
            Another bell pealed - this one higher and softer than the previous. Dolphin waited until it too had faded to silence before asking, “Our song?”  
            T’Lon did not sigh or outwardly display impatience, but Dolphin knew her well enough by now to detect it in her voice and expression. “After a successful fal-tor-pan ritual, a song is composed in celebration. The song begins one day after the end of the ritual, lasts for 27 hours and is never played again.” At that moment, another bell sounded, extremely low and soft, almost below the threshold of Dolphin’s hearing. A rumble.  
            Dolphin tried to make himself comfortable, but he had no idea how he would manage to appreciate a 27-hour long song. He felt a slight stab of envy for Dr. Moon Sun Salek, visiting her grandfather for the first time and hoped she was having at least a little more fun.

             T’Lon turned toward Dolphin and said, “There is something I think you should witness. I know you are somewhat weary of telepathic contact at the moment…”  
            “It’s been a bit crowded up here recently,” Dolphin replied, lightly tapping his head. “But do what you must.”  
            The link between them had grown strong enough that T’Lon no longer needed to touch Dolphin’s face to initiate a mind-meld. Touching his hand was sufficient.  
            Dolphin immediately became aware of a third presence only because T’Lon was bringing that part forth with some effort. It was a very small part of T’Lok. It wasn’t like hearing her voice - but somehow it was - as though this were the strongest way for Dolphin to distinguish her thoughts from T’Lon’s. Gradually, T’Lon was absorbing this part of T’Lok’s personality that T’Lok had long ago begun embedding in her friend.  
            Dolphin could feel that this process was changing T’Lon in a subtle way. He was able to hear T’Lon putting T’Lok’s legacy to words: “Curiosity, Empathy, Joy, Wonder.” It wasn’t the words or even the ability to experience what they represented. It was more than that - as though these had been the fundamental building blocks of T’Lok and were now being grafted into T’Lon in hopes they would bear fruit. He felt as though in some way, this part of T’Lok’s personality was linking up with those qualities in his own character, bolstering them - changing him as well and putting everything he had experienced over the past month - the wonders and the horrors - into a fresh context. They were not putting T’Lok finally to peace – she was bringing peace to them.  
            Throughout this silent celebration and acceptance of this final legacy from T’Lok, enormous bells continued to peal, rocking the bridge with powerful, low frequency vibrations and very slowly revealing a coherent melody. Whoever had written this music had not only felt T’Lon’s personality and Dolphin’s, but T’Lok’s as well.

7.7


	65. Episode 7.8 - The Great Mushroom: Mushroom Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Members of the Hunter's crew are starting to have disturbing dreams while on Pillo. Are they premonitions?
> 
>  _Irons had been dreaming about these characters since her first night on Pillo, but for the first time it occurred to her in her dream logic that they might actually be trying to communicate with her. “Don’t fear words?” she asked the caterpillar. The caterpillar responded with a delighted (or perhaps frustrated) squeal and clapped its hands - all six of them..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The name of the planet is Pillo. The clue for how the planet got this name is in the name of the star - the 110th star in Pisces or 110 Piscium... which is abbreviated Pi 110...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 8 - Mushroom Dreams

7.8  
Mushroom Dreams

             Dr. Sarekson Carrera rolled over, wanting more sleep only to find himself at Pep’s enormous feet. Carrera looked up in wonder at the giant - each horribly mangled leg was several times the size of Carrera’s body. Way up in the sky was Pep’s beatific head - the sun forming a golden halo behind his head - making it too bright to see his face.  
            “Pep?” he asked.  
            The giant’s eyes remained closed, the golden halo of blood behind his head dimming enough now that Carrera could now see his features - beatific, ecstatic, at peace. Pep’s chest and belly had been ripped open from his neck to his waist, his chest cavity cracked, ribs splayed open. His organs had been sliced and shoved aside, but there was a massive hole where his heart should have been.  
            Although the gigantic mouth did not move, Carrera could hear Commander Pepper’s voice, low, rich, soothing. “It’s okay, Doctor C. My heart isn’t misplaced. It’s right where it has always been. Right where it belongs.”  
            Pep easily scooped Carrera up in one enormous hand and shoved him into the massive, bloody, oozing cavity where the gigantic heart should have been.  
            For the first time in his life, Carrera woke up screaming. Buttons Ngumbo, who had been sleeping next to him, woke up and in an instant caught Carrera in his arms. Carrera struggled briefly, then leaned back and started to seriously shake.

             Justice Minerva Irons was dreaming of the Red Queen. She was more or less aware she was in a dream. The Red Queen was a bit of a nightmare figure, but Irons was not afraid of her.   
            “Fear…” the Red Queen said.. “Do fear… Do ont fear…” The Mad Hatter was clearly frustrated. “Do ont fear… words.” The Hatter said this last with a sense of finality, as though he had run through his entire vocabulary. “Do ont fear words.” the hookah smoking caterpillar concluded.  
            Irons had been dreaming about these characters since her first night on Pillo, but for the first time it occurred to her in her dream logic that they might actually be trying to communicate with her. “Don’t fear words?” she asked the caterpillar. The caterpillar responded with a delighted (or perhaps frustrated) squeal and clapped its hands - all six of them.  
            “Taste,” said the Cheshire Cat, somewhat incoherently. The justice’s dream faded to darkness. The cat’s odd smile became Mlady’s smile. Which was very disconcerting - few people other than Irons were aware that Mlady’s smile was not a sign of pleasure, but a sign of fear or aggression. A broad smile, such as this one, was a serious danger sign as she was displaying her fangs. She tended not to open her mouth while smiling until the moment of her attack.  
            But Mlady looked different. The differences were subtle, but her mouth was larger and something of the light of intelligence was gone from her eyes. There was no hint of her uniform - or any clothing. Her body had changed as well, her arms longer, making it easier for her to move either bipedally or quadrapedally. Her long bushels of hair were woven about her carefully, keeping her hair out of her way and forming it into a garment. She was hunting.  
            She watched in frustration as her prey vanished in something that appeared to be a transporter beam. But Irons was no longer with Mlady - she had followed her 2nd officer’s prey onboard some sort of space vessel. In every direction, the viewscreens displayed only inky darkness, but there was a target. The vessel arrived at a dying brown dwarf star almost immediately and with technology Irons could not even imagine, sliced out a large section of the star’s corona and returned it to 110 Piscium (abbreviated Pi 110 - the star around which Pillo orbited) and fed the now cold corona gasses into a large mechanism in orbit of the star which, in turn, gradually fed the material into the star.  
            The scene changed to the initial landing of the first colonists on Pillo near the north pole. This was footage Irons had seen many times. The colonists stepped out, clad in EVA suits, only to see a path light up in the forest of mushroom stalks they had landed close to. The bioluminescent trail eventually led the explorers nearly 1,000 miles south to the location that would become Porte Abello. As they approached, they found increasing signs of a breathable atmosphere under the giant mushrooms and a large, open area under the unbroken canopy that eventually became the central courtyard of Porte Abello.

            Irons awoke from her dream, mystified, trying to digest what her dream had shown her. She had the distinct impression it was a deliberate communication from another intelligence.

7.8


	66. Episode 7.9 - The Great Mushroom: A Bad Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor and several other crew members get a sense that something big is about to happen and rush to position themselves to deal with it...
> 
>  _“That must be some bad feeling you have - and it sounds like you’re not the only one…” Gamor mused..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> In every Star Wars movie, someone says, "I have a bad feeling about this..." Every movie - exact line. Maybe I should have had someone actually say that in this chapter...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 9 - A Bad Feeling

7.9  
A Bad Feeling 

            Lt. Gaia Gamor felt like she had been born in the captain’s chair, gotten married to it and was destined to be buried with one. She had been pulling double shifts in command in no small part out of boredom. Dr. Jazz was running an experiment that required several crew members to remain onboard and never go planetside. She was part of this control group and as the ranking operations officer remaining on the ship, the captain’s chair was a natural place for her to be.  
            But it wasn’t the double-shifts that were bothering her. It was a navigational issue. Something was causing her to have to adjust the Hunter’s orbit. The planet’s mass was known, as were the mass of both moons, the nearby planets and Pi 110 itself. With both of her navigators planetside, it was pretty much up to Lt. Gamor to figure out what was going on. The math geniuses, Tauk and Carrera, were both busy planetside, but navigators had to be good at math too. This math was simple. The problem was that the math wasn’t telling her anything useful.   
            For some reason the Hunter was speeding up on the day side and slowing down on the night side of Pillo. It wasn’t much, but it didn’t take much to require a course correction.

            “Hunter,” Gamor called and looked to the space behind the navigation station where the boat’s interactive avatar preferred to appear.  
            “Lieutenant Gamor,” responded Hunter, appearing as expected.  
            “I’m sure you’ve been monitoring our orbit,” Gamor said. “Can you tell me why we’re having to make so many course corrections? There don’t seem to be any gravitational fluctuations that could be causing it.”  
            “We are encountering a field effect, almost like moving through a field of particulate matter,” Hunter replied.  
            Lt. Gamor leaned forward in the captain’s chair. She had a hunch. “Can you conduct an analysis of the particulate matter and identify where it’s coming from?”  
            “The particulate matter appears to be connected to the flora canopy on the planet below,” Hunter said.  
            “Please display on the view screen - show me a high magnification, high resolution view.”  
            The viewscreen changed to show what appeared to be a living plant cell.  
            “Hunter, what am I looking at?” Gamor asked.  
            “A cell in a streamer that is attached to the canopy on Pillo,” Hunter replied.  
            “Mushroom? We’re flying through mushroom?”  
            The viewscreen pulled back to display several streamers until the tiny tendrils were almost too small to be seen.  
            “These tendrils are only a few molecules thick,” Hunter stated. “And yes, these are mushroom tendrils. We are flying through a field of them. They seem to be carried out some distance from the planet by the solar wind, which is why we are not encountering as many of them on the day side.”  
            Lt. Gamor relaxed back into the captain’s chair. “How far out do these tendrils go?”  
            Hunter took a few moments to study the tendrils, displaying this research on the viewscreen. “The tendrils connect to both of the moons of Pillo and also to a significant amount of the debris collected in the LaGrange points of both moons.”  
            Gamor let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot - far more extensive than I imagined. Has any of this material made it past our navigational screens onto the hull?”  
            “I do not detect any particles inside our navigational screens,” Hunter replied.  
            “Project an orbit that will keep us outside of the reach of these tendrils,” Gamor said.  
            Hunter displayed an elliptical orbit outside the orbits of Pillo’s twin moons.  
            Gamor walked around the boat’s avatar to the currently unoccupied bridge navigation station, sat and checked the orbit plan. She then turned to Flight Specialist Joey Chin at the pilot station next to her. “Mr. Chin, lay in this orbit pattern and take us out to it when ready.”  
            “Establishing new orbit, sir,” Chin responded as Lt. Gamor got up and returned to the captain’s chair.  
            Gamor knew it was an illusion, but she could almost feel the boat slipping free of tiny mushroom tendrils as it moved past one of the planet’s moons.  
  
            “Bridge, this is Transporter Room 1…” Transporter Engineer K’rok’s voice was unmistakable.  
            “Go ahead, K’rok,” Gamor responded.  
            “I have Flight Specialists Dih and Salazaar and Chief Guth requesting beam up.”  
            “Go ahead and bring them up. Advise Chief Guth to report to the bridge once aboard.” Gamor wasn’t sure why half her team was returning, but she was glad to have them back - even though none of this group could relieve her of command.  
            Chief Guth reported to the bridge within moments.  
            “What’s up, Guth?” Gamor asked. “I thought you and the other pilots were going to stay planetside for another day.”  
            “We just had a feeling, sir,” Guth responded. “Ensign Phillips was on a date and I didn’t think it was right to interrupt him just because a few pilots were feeling jumpy.”  
            The communication system brought K’rok’s voice to the bridge again: “Bridge, this is Transporter Room 1…”  
            “More beamout requests, K’rok?” Gamor asked.  
            “Navigators Strahl and Imex and Engineers Tomos and Yolanda Thomas are requesting transport up here.”  
            “Bring them aboard, Mr. K’rok,” Gamor replied. She turned her attention to her Chief Flight Specialist. “So what would you like to do now, Chief?”  
            “If it’s the same with you, Dih and I would like to stand watch at the interceptor bays,” Guth responded.  
            “That must be some bad feeling you have - and it sounds like you’re not the only one…” Gamor mused.

7.9


	67. Episode 7.10 - The Great Mushroom: Case Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Justice Irons gives her ruling on the case of People of Porte Abello vs. People of Pillo - but while the judge is closing the case, much larger things are just getting started...
> 
>  _“Case dismissed. Court adjourned,” Irons concluded. She banged the mushroom again, creating a rather sour sounding squawk..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very busy chapter. Just as the court case is winding down, a fight is brewing and an even deadlier battle is on the horizon. 
> 
> There's a space battle coming and that is some very difficult prose to write. I can only hope when I get there that the descriptions are sufficient for you to be able to visualize the positions and movements of things like starships, torpedoes, energy beams, secondary explosions...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 10 - Case Closed

7.10  
Case Closed

             With a now familiar and very appropriate sounding squawk, Justice Irons delivered her ruling: “First, with regard to the plaintiff’s complaint, due to the unenforceability of the patent applications at the heart of this case, I am dismissing this case without prejudice. No harm, no foul, no precedent, no damages.”  
            The plaintiff and her lawyers did not make any reply, but this was clearly not the ruling they had hoped for. Mayor Sally Chesticut let her hand fall to the plaintiff’s mushroom with a soft, squishy sound.   
            Irons turned to direct her remarks to the defendant’s mushroom. “Second, with regard to the actions of the defendant, all patents granted by the planetary administration are hereby voided pending appeal and further, the planetary administration is hereby enjoined against granting patents or even reviewing patent applications pending a broad competency review. Additionally, I am recommending a full audit of all planetary administrative rulings and activities.”  
            Irons leveled her gaze at Planetary Administrator John Westinghall. “Administrator - I strongly recommend you get your house in order ahead of this recommended audit. Given the state of your patent review process, I strongly suspect you may have other, more serious procedural issues. Mr. Westinghall, I believe you foresaw a judicial rebuke. Consider this it.”  
            “Case dismissed. Court adjourned,” Irons concluded. She banged the mushroom again, creating a rather sour sounding squawk.

             At that moment, in another area of Porte Abello, a fight was about to break out. Almost no one knew why and few had any idea who would be fighting, but the premonition of a fight was drawing spectators, including the Hunter’s crew. Ensign Tolon Reeves had a bad feeling about it and put his squad on alert.  
            Dr. Carrera had a much worse feeling about it and had gathered as many of the crew as he could find. As he drew near to the crowd, his worst fears were realized - 1.) there were a lot of nausicaans, 2.) they were armed with swords, 3.) Pep was in the middle of it. And in a bad way.  
            No less than six nausicaans were holding Pep’s arms behind him. He was leaning forward, trying to drag them off their feet. Another nausicaan stepped in front of the giant and drew a sword, set to plunge it into the giant’s heart.   
            Carrera let out a high-pitched scream and charged toward the sword-wielding nausicaan. Nausicaans were large and this one was much larger than normal. Carrera was a small man, so he went for the knees. Investigator Buttons also ran toward the nausicaan at tremendous speed. Although Buttons was not as large as his opponent, he was able to tackle with considerable force due to his speed - Buttons, Carrera and the nausicaan went tumbling - but not before the nausicaan left his sword embedded in Pep’s chest.  
            The nausicaan drew a knife, only to find himself wrestled firmly to the ground by Tolon and Belo Garr. Jarrong stepped over him, first relieving him of the knife, then with a roundhouse left punch, relieving him of consciousness.   
            Several nausicaans seemed to be fighting each other and the two whom Pep had knocked out in the bar a few nights previously, took on the nausicaans who were holding the giant’s arms, enabling him to pull free of them. Pep removed the sword from his chest and pushed his hand into the wound, which was bleeding profusely.  
             Several nausicaans fell - first those close to Pep, then others. Only those close enough could see Mlady’s tiny figure sprinting among the towering nausicaans at tremendous speed, a small phaser in each hand, stunning every nausicaan at point blank range, regardless of which side they appeared to be fighting on. Within less than a minute, no one who had been fighting was left standing except for Pep and Mlady. Pep removed his hand from the sword wound and Mlady put her mouth to the bleeding wound. “Hunter, two for medical beamout!” Pep gasped, holding Mlady’s mouth to his chest. Within a few seconds the transporter whisked them away, leaving several members of Hunter’s crew slack-jawed at what they had just witnessed.  
            A little further away on the edge of the crowd, Dr. Tali Shae quietly called for medical beamout.

7.10


	68. Episode 7.11 - The Great Mushroom: Battle for Pillo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Just as the fighting on the ground is ending faster than anticipated, a battle in the space over Pillo begins for control of the colony.
> 
>  _Then the tactical unit appeared out of high warp directly in between two of the heavy cruisers - with less than 30 meters between the tactical unit and the two cruisers on either side. In that moment the tactical unit pivoted 90 degrees, bringing its forward torpedo tube to point directly at one cruiser and the aft tube to point at the other. Torpedoes launched simultaneously at point blank range from each tube, but did not activate – they drifted toward the two cruisers..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Space battles make for great television but are ridiculously difficult to write.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 11 - Battle for Pillo

7.11  
Battle for Pillo 

            Lt. Gamor was keeping up with all the reports of medical beamouts, but she was not tempted in the least to step away from the captain’s chair. Instead, she strapped herself in and found herself ordering the rest of the bridge crew to do the same. She was not surprised when Guth called her from one of the interceptor bays.   
            “Bridge, this is interceptor one requesting permission to launch…”  
            “I was just about to ask you to do that. Launch both interceptors,” Gamor replied. “Maintain close formation.”  
            Almost at that moment, Navigator Johanna Imex, who had requested permission to staff the bridge tactical station on arriving, reported, “Ships entering the system at high warp. At least two.” She was already raising the Hunter’s shields as Lt. Gamor gave the order.  
            “Shields up, weapons hot, bring us about to face them. Interceptors, take wing positions forward and keep their torpedoes off of us. All hands - brace for combat!”

             In Porte Abello, Ensign Tolon Reeves gave his squad the order to separate out the unconscious nausicaans and bind them. Nausicaans were tough and resilient and even though the majority of them had been hit by Mlady’s phasers set on heavy stun at close range, several of them were starting to come around. But none of them had sufficient fight to put up a struggle against Tolon’s tactical squad and they were swiftly contained.

             As everyone else left the courtroom, Justice Minerva Irons found herself relaxing back into the mushroom from which she had delivered her ruling. She had a feeling that things weren’t going well for anyone else, but there was little she could do about it at the moment. Her mind was beckoned elsewhere. In her vision she was swept off to a small town on a rather drab planet where people wearing drab clothing were going about the business of farming.   
            Irons wasn’t sure where this particular agricultural backwater was, but she could easily identify the fly in the bucolic ointment. A large, well-dressed man was entering a small, but unusual building. Neither his clothing nor the building had anything to do with farming. She hadn’t seen his face, but his clothing and gait were very familiar. So was the clothing and manner of the farmers and farms around him.  
            Even the rugged, forbidding landscape was oddly familiar to Irons. These farms had been blasted out of this landscape long ago. The few places where land could possibly be cleared for farming clearly limited the population of this settlement. From the condition of the buildings, the village looked old, but well cared for.

            Three nausicaan heavy cruisers appeared out of warp in close formation and immediately began firing on the Hunter. The Hunter would have been quickly destroyed had it not been for the interceptors using their phaser cannon to prevent the large number of photon torpedoes from getting through.   
 Nausicaan heavy cruisers were very rarely seen - three of them together represented probably half of the capital ships of the Nausicaan Collective - which claimed to speak for roughly half of the nausicaans in the sector and was the only large nausicaan organization - more of a syndicate than a government.   
            Any one of these cruisers would have outclassed the Hunter even with the heavily armed tactical unit attached. With half its weaponry away on a mission to Vulcan, the Hunter was hopelessly outgunned. Gamor was both putting up a fight and simultaneously hailing these vessels in an attempt to surrender. No one was answering.

             Then the tactical unit appeared out of high warp directly in between two of the heavy cruisers - with less than 30 meters between the tactical unit and the two cruisers on either side. In that moment the tactical unit pivoted 90 degrees, bringing its forward torpedo tube to point directly at one cruiser and the aft tube to point at the other. Torpedoes launched simultaneously at point blank range from each tube, but did not activate – they drifted toward the two cruisers.   
            The tactical unit was still moving forward at high speed. It nosed down, barely diving under one of the cruisers as the torpedoes drifted, unpowered, at launch speed into the deflector screens of the two vessels. On contacting the cruisers’ deflector screens, both torpedoes exploded simultaneously, overwhelming the emitters of both vessels and causing secondary explosions on each ship.   
            As these secondary explosions on the two now disabled cruisers multiplied out of control, the tactical unit focused its main phaser cannon at the third cruiser’s deflector dish, heating the shield directly in front of the dish. This remaining nausicaan heavy cruiser focused its fire on the tactical unit, only to find that its small target was moving too erratically to be predicted. In spite of these crazy, weaving and spinning maneuvers, the pilot of the tactical unit managed to keep the small vessel’s prow pointed precisely at the cruiser’s main deflector dish. Four torpedoes launched from the tactical unit’s aft tube, away from the cruiser.   
            These four torpedoes each took different trajectories, each sweeping around on individual arcs to head toward the nausicaan cruiser from different directions - directly toward the cruiser’s deflector dish. The cruiser was only able to destroy one torpedo with its forward disruptors before the other three torpedoes arrived simultaneously, just as the tactical unit disengaged its main forward phaser.   
            The torpedoes punched through a hole the phaser had opened in the nausicaan cruiser’s deflector screens. The first torpedo overwhelmed the deflector, taking down the protective screen. The second destroyed the deflector dish, causing secondary explosions. The third buried itself deep in the cruiser’s hull before exploding, ripping the ship to pieces with multiple, simultaneous secondary explosions.

             Lt. Gamor was still hailing the other two cruisers as they drifted apart, offering to take on survivors. It quickly became evident there would be no survivors as explosions continued inside both ships, gutting their hulls and leaving them floating, burnt out, empty hulks. Only shards remained of the third cruiser.

             “Hunter platform, this is the tactical unit, Kenneth Dolphin commanding,” came the transmission.  
            “Tactical unit, this is the Hunter, Gaia Gamor commanding,” Lt. Gamor responded. “Boy am I glad to see you, boss…”  
            Dolphin’s voice came back over the system. “Request permission to dock, Lieutenant.”  
            “Permission granted, sir,” Gamor replied. “I take it your mission was a success?”  
            “That would be an affirmative. We are carrying three crew members and three katras. Each katra is now located squarely where it should be.”  
            “Tactical unit, this is interceptor one,” came Guth’s voice. “Sir, I have never seen flying like that. Or shooting.”  
            “Ensign T’Lon did the shooting, Mr. Guth,” Dolphin responded. “As for the flying - let’s hope I never have to do anything like that again - at least for a while. I’ll see all of you on board. When I get there can someone please explain to me why I just had to blow up half of the Nausicaan Collective’s main fleet?”

7.11


	69. Episode 7.12 - The Great Mushroom: A Shared Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Lt. Tauk and Investigator Shran are interviewing a young nausicaan and learn what the fight was about.
> 
> All of the Hunter's crew experience the same vision simultaneously - a vision that one of the crew had seen before...
> 
>  _...Shran turned his attention back to the young nausicaan. “Yes. We don’t know the details yet, but we’ve been told our boat was attacked by three nausicaan heavy cruisers and won. I have no idea how.”_  
>  _Yuum lit up at this news. “I want to join Star Fleet! I want to see the Collective taken out! I want to be there!”_  
>  _Tauk managed, “You would be the first nausicaan in Star…” ___  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This scene is the first beat of the reveal of something I started hinting at back in Episode 4 and have been building up to all this time. Actually, there was a very obscure clue about it in Ep. 1.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 12 - A Shared Vision

7.12  
A Shared Vision

             Neither the city of Porte Abello nor the planetary administration of Pillo were anywhere near equipped to handle the aftermath of a nausicaan civil war, which was what had more or less happened. In all, Mlady had stunned more than 200 nausicaans in the fight that had wounded Pep. Tolon’s tactical squad had quickly run out of restraints and had to improvise using local rope - which was not really strong enough to hold the nausicaans and several had escaped.  
            And while this was the largest uprising, it was not the only one. Few of the nausicaans were talking, but by interviewing other residents of Porte Abello who knew the nausicaans, Lt. Tauk, Investigator Lynhart Shran and Investigator Buttons Ngumbo were able to derive that the fights had pitted local nausicaans against interlopers. The few local nausicaans who were talking identified at least a few of the interlopers as members of the Collective (or “Collectors” as most nausicaans referred to them.)  
            Tauk and Investigator Shran were questioning one uncharacteristically talkative nausicaan - a young female named Yuum - on the promise of her anonymity. Her father and sister had been killed by a collector in one of the brawls.

             “We were told right from the start never to talk about the visions,” Yuum said. Her anger was evident and Shran and Tauk maintained a respectful distance. “We have had them just like everyone else, but the Collective didn’t want anyone to know about it. They wanted to know if the visions showed anything beyond the immediate area of this star system. They wanted to use the visions to prey on the trade routes near this system.”  
            Tauk coughed heavily, then said, “So did the visions expand beyond this system?” He coughed again.  
            Yuum nodded. “Right from the beginning we were seeing visions about people we knew on our homeworlds - family members. But that wasn’t what the collectors were looking for. They were looking for evidence the visions could be used to control the trade routes.”  
            Tauk continued coughing. Investigator Lynhart Shran took over questioning at a gesture from the young ferengi.  
            “So I take it they found what they were looking for?” Shran asked.  
            “Several, all at once. It led to a successful attack on a tellerite freighter last week,” Yuum replied. “The Collective was willing to risk half their fleet to take over this colony. If they had managed it, they could have taken tens of thousands of hostages and it would have been nearly impossible to get them off this planet. Is it true that a small Star Fleet patrol craft destroyed three of the Collective’s heavy cruisers?”  
            “That’s the report...” Tauk attempted, but could not continue as he was coughing harder.  
            “Are you all right, boss?” Shran asked.  
            Tauk waved impatiently, gesturing for Shran to continue.  
            Shran turned his attention back to the young nausicaan. “Yes. We don’t know the details yet, but we’ve been told our boat was attacked by three nausicaan heavy cruisers and won. I have no idea how.”  
            Yuum lit up at this news. “I want to join Star Fleet! I want to see the Collective taken out! I want to be there!”  
            Tauk managed, “You would be the first nausicaan in Star…” His coughing came back, far worse than before, blood dripping from his mouth and nose.

            Kenny Dolphin had just secured the tactical unit after docking.  
            Gaia Gamor was still in the captain’s chair.  
            Commander David Pepper was laying in sick bay recovering from heart surgery, Mlady and Dr. Tali Shae next to him.  
            Dr. Carrera had returned to the Hunter and was on his way to inspect the tactical unit.  
            Investigator Buttons Ngumbo was with Ensign Tolon Reeves and the tactical squad, arranging for long term containment of the members of the Nausicaan Collective who had started fights throughout Porte Abello.  
            Justice Minerva Irons was just leaving the courtroom.   
            Dr. Jazz was cleaning up after successfully managing delicate heart surgery in the middle of a fire fight.

            The vision of Tauk coughing up blood in desperation hit all of the Hunter’s crew simultaneously.

            “Medical Beamout!” Shran’s voice was so gravelly it sounded as if his throat was about to shred itself.  
            Transporter Engineer K’rok was already in process of beaming Lt. Tauk and Investigator Shran directly to Medical.

7.12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haracter: Yuum  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Nausicaan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Porte Abello, Pillo  
> Introduced: Episode 7.12  
> Age when introduced: 11  
> Role: Witness to Nausicaan Civil War on Pillo


	70. Episode 7.13 - The Great Mushroom: Taking His Breath Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Tali Shae delivers the diagnosis to Tauk. A genetic defect, easily repaired. Or it should be...
> 
>  _“There isn’t much that can be done. It’s lungworm,” Tauk said._  
>  _Tali Shae rolled her eyes. “How about if you let me be the doctor in this room? It isn’t lungworm. What you have is a genetic condition... and we can correct the missing sequence in your DNA..."_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> One of the issues I wanted to explore is the various taboos about medical treatments. And the process of dying. Many people die suddenly. Others have a clock.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 13 - Taking His Breath Away

7.13  
Taking His Breath Away

             Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder and Dr. Tali Shae had moved Tauk to the forward surgery as Pep was recovering in the main surgery. They had conferred about the young lieutenant’s diagnosis. Communicating the results was Dr. Shae’s responsibility.  
            “We thought at first you might be having an allergic reaction to the spores,” Tali Shae said.   
            Tauk shook his head. “I was coughing before we got to Pillo. This has been coming on for a while.”  
            “Then you suspected. Why didn’t you come to me?” Shae asked.  
            “There isn’t much that can be done. It’s lungworm,” Tauk said.  
            Tali Shae rolled her eyes. “How about if you let me be the doctor in this room? It isn’t lungworm. What you have is a genetic condition. Your lung tissues are breaking down. Dr. Jazz administered a medicine that will suppress your symptoms temporarily. We will need to do surgery tomorrow. Dr. Jazz will remove the destroyed material from inside your lung, reconstruct the damaged areas and we can correct the missing sequence in your DNA at the same time.”  
            Tauk shook his head. “You can do the surgery, but I cannot allow you to alter my genetic structure. That would violate one of our highest laws.”  
            “I thought you were no longer a citizen of the Ferengi Alliance - weren’t you exiled?”  
            “Due to my doctoral dissertation. That does not change the fact that I am ferengi. I may have mathematically proved that, according to game theory, the Rules of Acquisition are counter-productive to wealth generation and general prosperity, but I cannot condone genetic therapy. Unlike humans, we learned the lesson from our eugenics wars.”  
            “I’m not talking about making you into some sort of superman, Lieutenant,” Dr. Tali Shae countered. “Just correcting the defect that is causing your lung to consume itself.”  
            “There can be no exceptions, Doctor,” said Tauk. “Doctor Dolphin was right to ask the question whether the benefits of genetic therapy are worth the risk that people will cheat. Ferengi are very familiar with that concept. Cheating is inevitable and inevitably leads to self-destruction. The ferengi learned that lesson the hard way. We tried half-measures. Which led to a second eugenics war. That’s why we refer to them as the eugenics wars.”  
            Dr. Tali Shae took a deep breath. “I understand. I need you to understand that the window for genetic modification is not very wide. If you change your mind - and I’m not suggesting that you are likely to - we may have a few months. Without the treatment, the outlook is not good. With a combination of surgeries and medicines, we can slow the progress of the disease. But it will be fatal within no more than a year - two years at the outside. And as it progresses, it will become debilitating and extremely painful. The pain can be managed, but at increasing cost to your mental awareness.”  
            Tauk grimaced. “How long will I be able to continue in my duties?”  
            “Are you certain you want to remain at your post, now that you have a time limit?”  
            “Doctor, this,” Tauk looked around, gestured vaguely to the room around him, “this is my home. There is no other place for me.”

            Tali Shae walked over to one of the forensic workstations and sat down. “I really don’t know, Tauk. There are too many variables. I suppose a year, maybe more, maybe less. Honestly, I’m just wildly guessing. Dr. Jazz is designing the surgery. We should be ready tomorrow. Do you feel up to a senior staff meeting? Justice Irons has scheduled it for the main surgery, considering we have two senior staff recuperating down here.”  
            “I think I can manage it, thank you, doctor.”

7.13


	71. Episode 7.14 - The Great Mushroom: Time On Target

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The Hunter's senior staff review their extremely active week, coming to grips with the Nausicaan Civil War, Dolphin's unique military tactics and especially the nature of Pillo and how precognition, now evidently real to all the crew, could be possible within the Theory of General Relativity.
> 
> _Carrera looked at Dr. Tali Shae. “Whatever you’re prescribing for him, I want some too.”_
> 
> _Pep turned to Dr. Tali Shae. “Doc, whatever you’re prescribing for him, I want some too…”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is a long and science heavy chapter. What Dr. Carrera has to say about causality toward the end of this chapter sounds weird as hell, but it is, actually the universe that Einstein explained to us in the theory of General Relativity. To get a better idea how causality can be asymmetric, go to YouTube and search for Brian Greene Time Slices and also How The Quantum Eraser Rewrites The Past.
> 
> One other note - what I know that Kenny Dolphin does not: Time On Target goes back further than cannon. English longbow men were using this concept as far back as the Battle of Agincourt.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 14 - Time on Target

7.14  
Time on Target

            About a half hour later, the senior staff gathered in the main surgery.

             “I really hope we aren’t setting a precedent,” Justice Irons said, looking around the surgery. Tauk was propped up on one surgery table and Commander David Pepper on another. A few extra chairs had been brought into the room to accommodate remainder of the senior staff.  
            “Lieutenant Tauk, let’s start with you. Tell us what your team has found out about the nausicaans.”  
            Tauk cleared his throat, immediately drawing concerned looks from everyone in the room. He paused long enough to indulge in a slight sigh. “It’s clear enough that the Nausicaan Collective was making a bold move to take over this colony. Pi 110 is located near two main arteries for trade routes within the Federation. It would be a very defensible position for the Collective - they could have held tens of thousands of hostages under the mushrooms and they would have established a foothold deep inside Federation territory. They also believed they would have benefitted from premonitions everyone seems to experience on Pillo.”  
            Pep’s voice was uncharacteristically soft and not as low as usual. “What I want to know…” He paused to take a deep breath. “What made the Collective so bold to think such a move would be tolerated in such close proximity to Earth?”  
            “Historically, this area was squarely within the Collective’s patrol territory,” Irons replied. “Star Fleet has only been able to strengthen our presence in this sector since the threats from the Borg and the Dominion have receded. I think the Collective was feeling strong enough to make a play to regain some of their historic territory. Thanks to Lieutenant Dolphin, that bid ended catastrophically for them. Kenneth, I would like to hear some more about these unconventional tactics you used to take down three capital ships with what is essentially a heavily armed shuttle.”  
            Lt. Dolphin grimaced and raised his eyebrows. “Those tactics were the product of desperation and adrenaline. And only half mine. I left the shooting up to Ensign T’Lon. Her tactics were extremely creative. It was her idea to launch torpedoes without engaging their engines so that I had time to get us out of the way before they blew up. She also came up with the Time On Target use of torpedoes on the third ship.”  
            Tauk cleared his throat. “Time On Target? I’ve heard the term before, but I don’t know what it means.”  
            “I’m not surprised,” Dolphin responded. “It doesn’t often have a use in modern combat. It dates back to the use of cannon on the battlefield. Gunners would aim their cannon very high with a sufficient charge to drop cannon balls on their enemies from above, then quickly reloaded and fired directly at the enemy. Time On Target meant the cannon balls falling from above would arrive at the same time as those coming straight across the battlefield. A devastating attack. T’Lon’s use of it - having photon torpedoes arriving from several different trajectories - made it impossible for the cruiser to prevent all of them from hitting their target.”  
            Dr. Carrera spoke up. “What I want to know is how you brought the tactical unit out of warp within a thousand meters of another ship, much less in between two other ships with less than 30 meters clearance on either side. We designed the unit with as many potentials as possible, but I don’t think that was one of them.”  
            Dolphin blushed a little and mumbled something Carrera couldn’t distinguish.  
            Dr. Carrera turned to Tauk: “What did he say?”  
            Tauk’s ears were the only ones in the room sensitive enough to comprehend Dolphin’s Yankee mumble.

             “He said he flew it stick.”

             Tali Shae turned toward Dolphin. “You did what?”  
            Dr. Carrera was wide-eyed with disbelief, but his voice remained calm. “You flew stick at warp speed. You came out of warp at hundreds of times the speed of light, placed that boat precisely between two heavy cruisers that were less than 100 meters apart - and you did it manually? Is that even allowed?”  
            “Combat flight rules provide fairly broad discretion for manual operation… As I said, desperation and adrenaline,” Dolphin reiterated.

             Carrera looked at Dr. Tali Shae. “Whatever you’re prescribing for him, I want some too.”

             Justice Irons was shaking her head. “I have never heard of such a thing. I am quite tempted to classify that maneuver just so that a generation of cadets don’t get themselves killed trying to recreate it.” She turned toward her first officer. “David, how is your heart?”  
            “Dr. C. saved my life,” Pep replied. “If he and Ngumbo hadn’t tackled that nausicaan, that sword would have gone right through my heart. As it was, it was just a nasty nick. I have more surgery scheduled for the next few days. After that I should be fine. We need to talk about how many people saw Mlady biting my wound.”  
            Carrera turned toward Pep with some surprise. “Is that what she was doing? I couldn’t tell. All I could see was that she put her mouth to the wound.”  
            Mlady, seated next to the surgical bed Pep was recuperating in, was trying not to smile, but was unable to keep from baring her fangs.  
            Dr. Tali Shae started, “Mlady produces an enzyme…”  
            Lt. Dolphin interrupted her. “We cannot tell the crew that. It would create unrealistic expectations - she can only do that with people whom she has genetically modified…”  
            “I am right here,” Mlady said, her fangs now bared.  
            “Don’t tell anybody anything,” Irons said. “It’s none of their business. If you hear any crew members asking questions or speculating about this incident, tell them it is a private matter and if they want to know more, they should ask their Executive Officer or their Operations Officer. And you can let them know that David will refer them to Mlady, so they might as well start with her.”  
            Mlady relaxed, but looked pointedly at each of the directors, effectively sealing her privacy.  
            “That should settle them down,” Dr. Carrera said. “Everyone on this boat should be used to unusual personal relationships by now. They may be surprised, and there will be some gossip. But we have a fairly respectful crew. There isn’t a person here who hasn’t had to deal with people being too nosy about their private lives.”  
            Dolphin spoke directly to Mlady, “I apologize for being insensitive a moment ago.”  
            Mlady gave Dolphin a long evaluating gaze. It was several heartbeats before she took a breath and quietly said, “Apology accepted.”

             “Now that that’s settled, it’s time to address the elephant in the room,” Justice Irons said. Just as Pep cleared his throat, Irons added, “Or I should say, the mushroom. We all had the visions. Even Lieutenant Dolphin - and before he broke the seal from the tactical unit, meaning he had not breathed Hunter’s air. So we can probably rule out spores. So the question is, what is causing these premonitions?”  
            Dr. Carrera said, “We don’t have enough information - or maybe we do, but it’s spread around. We all need to know what everyone saw and when they saw it.”  
            “I think I might have been the first,” said Dolphin. “about a week ago at our last senior staff meeting, I was talking about a dream. It didn’t mean anything to me at the time, but that vision we all had of Tauk coughing blood, I had that exact vision in my dream. That was before I even knew the Hunter was going to Pillo and even then I didn’t know that I would link back up with you before you broke orbit.”  
            “I saw Pep with a hole in his chest - his heart had been removed,” Dr. Carrera added. It was a bizarre dream - a nightmare really.”  
            “Sounds to me like a premonition about me getting stabbed,” Pep responded.  
            “Is your heart missing?” Irons asked.  
            Pep patted his hands about on his chest as if to make sure. “Doesn’t seem to be…”  
            “But in the dream, even though there was a hole, he said his heart wasn’t missing,” Carrera responded.  
            “Did any of you feel that you were contacted by an intelligence?” Irons asked.

             Her question elicited only confused looks.

            Irons described her dreams involving the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the dying brown dwarf star, although she omitted the part about Mlady.  
            The room was silent for a moment, but only Dr. Carrera seemed to be taking it in.  
            “It does sound like an intelligent contact. But there’s a lot to unpack here. You said they were feeding stellar material to Pi 110?” Carrera asked.  
            Irons nodded. “I couldn’t even begin to describe the technology."  
            “That would have to be billions of years in the future. That star should have an exceptionally long life-span.”  
            “I got the feeling that it was a far distant future,” Irons replied.  
            “Here’s my guess - and please observe the caveat that it is a wild guess…” Carrera leaned forward in his chair, clearly excited. “I suspect we are in contact with a vast intelligence that has not yet become sentient - but will in the far distant future. This could be an example of asymmetric causality.”  
            This statement earned Carrera blank looks from everyone except Tauk. The little ferengi took a drink and cleared his throat. “So something in the future is causing what we are experiencing?”  
            “It sounds counterintuitive, but only because we have evolved to experience causality past to future. But an intelligence could conceivably experience causality from what we would consider future to past. Causality - assuming it happens at all - and our universe makes no sense to us if it does not - must run both directions. We have demonstrated this effect over and over at the subatomic level, but it must apply as a general rule. In fact, it is what makes recursive warp drive – our zip drive – possible. So let’s assume for a moment that is what is at work here.”  
            Carrera paused a moment to let everyone else catch up. “Our sentience is, in our experience, accidental. We have deliberately furthered it, but its origins were what we would call accidental. But our friend - let’s assume for the moment it’s the mushroom - could not have achieved sentience without a series of deliberate actions, among the first of which would be to create the potential for a symbiotic relationship with sentient bipeds - the colonists of Pillo.”  
            Dr. Tali Shae looked as if she had received a sudden shock. “Are you suggesting that the reason the colonists found an environment ready-made for them, complete with oxygen, potable water and carnivorous mushroom showers, is because this mushroom instructed itself in the distant future to create this environment in the past?”  
            “It sounds exotic when you put it that way. But think about it this way,” Carrera mused. “Creating these environmental potentials are among the last sentient acts of a being that would be in a condition we would compare to senility. Gone are the halcyon days of its youth at the other end of space-time from our perspective. And now, in these, as we would consider them, early days of our universe, but to our Agaricaloid friend, its last moments as a sentient being, it hangs onto the one task it must accomplish to make what we would refer to as its final form possible.”

             Pep turned to Dr. Tali Shae. “Doc, whatever you’re prescribing for him, I want some too…”

             Irons smiled. “I can see you have the bit between your teeth. If you’re not careful, this idea of yours might end up garnering another honorary doctorate for you.” Irons took a deep breath. “Whatever this intelligence is, it seems clear others could use it to make mischief. I am going to recommend that Star Fleet establish a permanent presence and garrison this system with sufficient resources to prevent the Nausicaan Collective or any other bad actors from taking over this system.”  
            She looked around at her directors. “I want each of you to think through your experiences and provide a detailed report not only of your own visions and experiences, but also for your staff - in as much detail as possible. Let’s leave Pep and Tauk to rest. Both have surgeries ahead of them. And please try not to gather any more injuries for now. We will remain in orbit of Pillo until Star Fleet can dispatch an appropriate relief vessel for us. We are adjourned.”

7.14


	72. Episode 7.15 - The Great Mushroom: In Remembrance of Dr. Ruanthe Perera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter's 2nd officer and C.O.O. has three direct reports: Lt. Carrera, Lt. Dolphin and Lt. Tauk. Dolphin provides Tauk a copy of Lt. Cmdr. Mlady's doctoral dissertation in bio-ethics, one of the most secret documents in the Federation. It reveals what Mlady's true nature is... A predator who feeds exclusively on humans and andorians...
> 
>  _"This,” he tapped the reader, “this is one of the most sensitive documents in the Federation. Since Mlady is now your commanding officer, you now have access to it – Dr. Mlady’s dissertation on bioethics. You will have to enter your security access code to read it. Fair warning – it’s a bit of an unsettling read..”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I have had some scary bosses over the years. But Kenny Dolphin has a boss that can literally eat you alive...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 15 - In Remembrance of Dr. Ruanthe Perera

7.15  
In Remembrance of Dr. Ruanthe Perera 

            Investigator Shran was holding Belo Cantys. They had returned to their temporary quarters on Pillo for more shore leave, taking advantage of the Hunter’s extended stay. With a luxurious, glowing bed, a hot bath right in the room with them and the beautiful bioluminescence creating ever changing shades of color, it was the most romantic place they had been together - one of the most romantic places he had ever been with anyone.  
            In a very long lifetime replete with more relationships than he could remember, no one had ever made the old sniper become detective happier than this tough, scrappy kid he had helped Jarrong rescue from enslavement on an obscure, uncontrolled Cardassian colony, along with her half-brother and half-sister. He wasn’t sure how she had changed his mind about the most important decision in his life when no other woman had come close.  
            “You had a question for me that you have been wanting to ask. And you haven’t asked because you already knew the answer. But being here, being on this planet, I’ve had a peek into the future. Or at least the possible future,” Shran said.  
            Cantys just lay against him, listening. Delighted. She knew his answer already - she had seen it too.  
            “Okay kid, we can tell the Doc tomorrow. First thing. Part bajoran, part andorian, part human, part cardassian - it’s gonna be one screwed-up, funny-looking kid…”  
            Cantys didn’t say anything - she responded to her elderly hero with a passionate kiss. And more.

 - * -

             Lt. Tauk caught up with Kenny Dolphin in the director’s lounge. “How did you know all that stuff about Mlady? I’m not even certain what she is.”  
            Dolphin responded by removing a reader from the interactive panel. He entered a command into it, then brought it to Tauk. “Now that you’ve been promoted, you, like me and Dr. Carrera, are one of her direct reports. This,” he tapped the reader, “this is one of the most sensitive documents in the Federation. Since Mlady is now your commanding officer, you now have access to it – Dr. Mlady’s dissertation on bioethics. You will have to enter your security access code to read it. Fair warning – it’s a bit of an unsettling read..”  
            Tauk took the reader and waited a few moments, considering, before entering his access code. The title of Mlady’s dissertation came up on the screen:

 Ethical Sentient Predation

 A Predator’s Guide to the Ethical Hunting, Husbandry and Harvesting of Sentient Prey Animals

 In Remembrance of Dr. Ruanthe Perera

             Tauk looked up. “Dr. Perera?”  
            “Mlady’s first taste of sentience,” Dolphin said, suppressing a shiver. “Dr. Perera headed the team that discovered Mlady just under 200 years ago. She was the first one bitten and the last survivor - Mlady fed on her for nearly three years.”  
            “How is that possible - feeding on her for years?”  
            Dolphin obtained a glass of iced tea from the replicator, sat on the couch. “Mlady changes her victims chemically, genetically, directly affects their nervous systems. Her venom makes them docile and the changes speed their healing. Her system learns from her prey - how to more effectively modify them. And how to genetically modify herself to take best advantage of new prey. That’s how she became sentient. When they found her she was something like a badger.” Dolphin held his hands apart to give the ferengi an idea of the size of a badger. He pointed at the reader in Tauk’s hand. “Mlady included Dr. Perera’s notes in her dissertation. Perera actually named her - My Lady - was in love with her even as she was aware Mlady was eating her alive - willingly allowed herself to be eaten. Mlady more or less unconsiously modeled her current form after Dr. Perera’s residual self-image… Has a number of her memories… As I said, it’s a rather unsettling read..”

7.15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Dr. Ruanthe Perera  
> Human Ethnicity: Sri Lankan  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 7.15  
> Age when introduced: Deceased  
> Role: Exobiologist who discovered Mlady


	73. Episode 7.16 - The Great Mushroom: Subspace Radio Ivonovic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The opening broadcast of Subspace Radio Ivonovic.
> 
>  _“Folks, I tell you, there is a vast conspiracy within the Federation. A conspiracy at the highest levels to create and maintain a new elite who will control our lives in the name of public service..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The answer to the perennial question - what is our old friend Emory Ivonovic up to?
> 
> If you have been reading the little quotes at the beginning of each Episode, you might have noticed some of them come from Subspace Radio Ivonovic. Including the quote at the beginning of this episode...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 7 - The Great Mushroom  
Scene 16 - Subspace Radio Ivonovic

7.16  
Subspace Radio Ivonovic 

            “Some of you know me. Most of you probably do not. My name is Emory Ivonovic and I am coming to you from an undisclosed location. I am the duly elected planetary governor of the Colony of New Hope. They said I couldn’t win and they were wrong. So they accused me of cheating. Why would they go to so much trouble? Why is it so important to them that they would defy the Federation’s most sacred values - the rule of law - the consent of the governed - to try to run me out of office and silence my voice? To silence the voice of the people of New Hope Colony?  
            “Because that is the business they are in. They claim to represent the Federation’s most cherished values. And then they arrest a duly elected planetary governor because they don’t want you to hear what I have to say. They claim to represent the rule of law. And then their tricky lawyers come up with unsupported interpretations of obscure rules to get around the law and just do whatever they want to do.  
            “So who are they and what is it that they want to do?  
            “Folks, I tell you, there is a vast conspiracy within the Federation. A conspiracy at the highest levels to create and maintain a new elite who will control our lives in the name of public service. A conspiracy to create a new race of super-beings - people whom you, your children and your grandchildren cannot hope to compete with. A race that will make us, the naturalborn, second class citizens in this Federation that our ancestors worked so hard to build. That our generation has shed blood to protect.  
            “We were all taught about the eugenics war of the late 21st Century, when Khan Noonien Singh and a generation of genetically modified supermen tried to enslave the rest of the human race. And this led to some of our most difficult but critically important laws - some of our most cherished laws - laws that prohibit new attempts to create a ruling class of supermen. We still allow genetic modification to heal children from terrible genetic disorders and occasionally people cheat, but overall those laws have served us very well for generations.  
            “But as you know, as Dr. Kenny Dolphin exposed to all of us in his ground-breaking dissertation, there is another exception to the prohibition against genetic modification: the children of multiple species who cannot survive, and in most cases could not even be conceived, without extensive genetic manipulation. And we are supposed to accept these children in the name of families, in the name of love. They show us beautiful babies with human faces, but vulcan ears or andorian antennae or cardassian neck ridges. And they show us happy parents - one human, one of another species.  
            “And underneath all this pretty propaganda lurks the real truth. These beautiful babies - these products of love between human and non-human, between vulcan and non-vulcan, between bajoran and non-bajoran - these are the new generation of supermen. These are the new faces of Khan, the Conqueror and his ilk.  
            “The rules of genetic modification that make these children possible state this intent explicitly: ‘To the greatest extent possible, the genetic uniqueness and characteristics of each species must be preserved in the children of multiple species.’ Let me emphasize - ‘To the greatest extent possible…’  
            “As Dr. Dolphin revealed to us, that is not an invitation for well-intentioned doctors to create supermen. It is a commandment for them to do so. It is a directive - ‘to the greatest extent possible.’ And how could it possibly be otherwise?  
            “I have seen the monsters this rule creates. A giant with the size and strength of an orion male, the balance and speed of an andorian, the intelligence and adaptability of a human, but far stronger and more resilient than any of these. A runner with the height and strength of a human and the endurance of a bajoran, but far faster than any bajoran or human. A sniper with the adaptability and eyesight of a human and the balance and dexterity of an andorian, but far quicker and more steady than either - he never misses his target. Something that looks human, but I don’t even know what they bred with a human to produce her - maybe a mountain lion - whose fangs and claws can reduce a roomful of big, strong men to a pile of meat within minutes.  
            “These abominations may sound like superheroes, but what they really are is a generation of elite supermen being bred right now, legally, right here within the Federation. And they call me a radical. And they try to overturn a legal election in which the people of New Hope Colony chose me to be their voice. Chose me to be the one to say, ‘no more!’ And believe me, if you stand up against this powerful elite they will come after you, too.  
            “Nevertheless, I say, No more! No more supermen! No more elite ruling class! These worlds do not belong to them. They belong to us - the naturalborn. We, the people who came together with hard work to build this Federation – these are our worlds, not theirs. No more monsters! No more overlords deliberately designed from the chromosome up to be our superiors.  
            “This is Emory Ivonovic, bringing you Subspace Radio Ivonovic – the voices of the naturalborn. And this is not my last word. They will not silence the truth. They will not silence the voice of the people. They will not enslave the naturalborn. We will not allow them to.  
            “I am Governor Emory Ivonovic and you will see my face again. You will hear my voice again.”

7 - The Great Mushroom 

 

 **Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter** :   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons

Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Tolon Reeves  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - vacant  
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
         Ensign T’Lon  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	74. Episode 8.1 - The Bolian Web: Paleonus V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter responds to an emergency call to the research stations on Paleonus V, only to find Star Fleet Medical's flagship, the U.S.S. Atul Goel, already on the scene. And behaving strangely...
> 
>  _Lt. Dolphin arrived a second later. He was in uniform, but his blonde hair was still wild from sleep and he needed a shave. Gamor touched him on the shoulder and whispered, “Comb your hair, sir.” Dolphin ran his fingers through his hair as he hurried toward the open hatch. There was no discernible improvement - his hair still looked like it was terrified of everything to his right and was stumbling all over itself in an attempt to go as far to his left as possible._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Another part of the federation is under attack...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 1 - Paleonus V

8 - The Bolian Web

 _“From the beginnings of our great common enterprise, Star Fleet captains have wrestled with the Prime Directive; Federation doctors have struggled with prohibitions around genetic engineering. It is so hard to know that you have the power to help and be prevented from doing so by regulation. But these prohibitions are a necessary precaution to enforce the first commandment of Federation Ethics: THOU SHALT NOT PLAY GOD!!!” Dr. Kenny Dolphin,_ _Fundamentals of Federation Ethics_ _._

8.1  
Paleonus V

            Paleonus V, seen from orbit, was an exceptionally beautiful planet. Vast oceans of blue and green waters complemented continents with many varieties of forestation, lakes, enormous rivers - some of which ran red or brown - savannas and deserts - vast swathes of brilliant color. A planet reserved for primeval wilderness supporting vast herds of gigantic herbivores that could be seen from orbit. A total of 14 research stations were located in various environments around the planet. Research stations mostly inhabited by bolians. Or they had been…  
            At this moment, those research stations contained only bodies. Dead blue ones. The medical ship U.S.S. Atul Goel, had evacuated the few surviving humans, vulcans and andorians - fewer than 15 people in all.  
            The Atul Goel was completing its mission and preparing to break orbit as the Hunter arrived. This was a surprise to Commander David Pepper as the Hunter had been summoned urgently to Paleonus V and had arrived only 7 hours after the emergency call came through. 

            Pep always felt a little uncomfortable in the captain’s chair - which was not unreasonable, considering that it was too small for him and he was always a little concerned he might break it. With a slight hand signal, he instructed Lt. Commander Mlady, currently standing watch at the bridge tactical station behind the captain’s chair, to hail the medical ship.   
            “Atul Goel, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, David Pepper commanding. We were notified of a medical emergency at Paleonus V and arrived as quickly as we could.”  
            Pep was simply astonished at the face that appeared on the viewer.   
            “Hunter, this is the U.S.S. Atul Goel, Fleet Admiral Scumuk commanding. I regret to inform you that you have arrived too late.” The elderly vulcan was wearing a blue uniform. He was the highest ranking doctor in Star Fleet and Star Fleet’s fourth highest ranking officer - the director of Star Fleet Medical. “From our research, the pathogen the bolians picked up here on Paleonus V is 100% fatal to bolians, but did not have any effect on vulcans. The humans here experienced symptoms similar to those of a head cold and recovered without treatment. The andorians had a much more severe reaction, but were all successfully treated. I have quarantined the survivors. I am placing Paleonus V under quarantine. No landings are to be conducted and no material of any kind is to be beamed up.”  
            “Understood, Admiral,” Pep responded.  
            “We must break orbit,” said Scumuk. “I was on my way to a conference and happened to be in the area. I assume with a planetary quarantine in place that you will be breaking orbit to return to your patrol, Commander.”  
            “That is not up to me, Admiral,” Pep replied. “I will inform Justice Irons.”  
           “Ah, so this is Minerva Irons’ command,” the admiral responded. “Unfortunately, we must depart immediately. Please give the justice my regards. Scumuk out.” The transmission ended with an odd sense of abruptness. Pep watched as the Atul Goel launched six quarantine buoys, which began flashing red and broadcasting the medical quarantine warning on all frequencies as they took up positions in high orbit of Paleonus V. The Atul Goel broke orbit immediately on launching the buoys.

            Flight Specialist Winnifred Salazaar, currently at the pilot’s station on the bridge of the Hunter, turned to look at his first officer. “Sir, the Admiral was lying.”  
            “What are you telling me, Winnie? What was he lying about?” Pep was aware that Salazaar was half betazoid and seemed to have inherited a strong telepathic ability. He was also aware that vulcans very rarely lied and, whether they were lying or not, they tended to be extremely difficult for even the most talented telepaths to read due to their mental discipline and their own native telepathic abilities.  
            “From what I could tell, everything.” Salazaar rejoined. “And he wanted me to know he was lying. It was like he was screaming it at me.”  
            The Hunter’s interactive avatar, in the form of an older man with a pot belly, a gray beard and a white lab coat, appeared unbidden in the space behind the navigator’s station. “Pep, based on Mr. Salazaar’s statements, I reviewed the transmission from the Atul Goel. There are several unusual things about it.”  
            “Are you telling me you think Fleet Admiral Scumuk was lying?” Pep asked with some surprise.  
            “Yes, but it’s more than that,” Hunter replied. “That transmission included biometric readings from the entire crew and also from the evacuees. That crew is under tremendous stress and currently there are 8 crew members in quarantine, including Captain John Kelley, and Assistant Medical Director Mettus Klox. The Atul Goel had 17 bolian crew members, including the first officer and medical director. All of them are dead. Furthermore, my long range sensors just picked up a course change.”  
            “Where is that ship going, Hunter?” Pep asked, with a significant sense of foreboding.

            “The Bolarus system.”

            Pep surged out of the captain’s chair with some difficulty. “Kenny Dolphin, wake up and get your butt to the tactical unit!” Pep glanced over his shoulder at Mlady.   
            Mlady, in turn issued several orders. “Lieutenant Gamor, Ensign Phillips, Navigator Strahl to the bridge!”   
            The enormous first officer was already headed toward the captain’s office. “Winnie - you’re with me. Hunter - we need you too. Sarekson Carrera - join us in the captain’s office.”  
            At the moment Pep got to the door, it opened and Justice Irons’ voice could be heard within, “Enter...”  
            Within a minute, Lt. Gamor arrived. Mlady released the tactical station to her and headed toward the hatch leading up to the tactical unit.   
            Lt. Dolphin arrived a second later. He was in uniform, but his blonde hair was still wild from sleep and he needed a shave. Gamor touched him on the shoulder and whispered, “Comb your hair, sir.” Dolphin ran his fingers through his hair as he hurried toward the open hatch. There was no discernible improvement - his hair still looked like it was terrified of everything to his right and was stumbling all over itself in an attempt to go as far to his left as possible.  
            Navigator Eli Strahl was next to the bridge. Strahl’s long, wavy brown hair and short, neatly trimmed beard mostly covered the very faint spots he had inherited from a trill grandparent. He was primarily betazoid and strongly telepathic. He restrained his hair into a pony tail as he took his place at the navigator’s station, then began quickly entering calculations into the console. Ensign Ethan Phillips and Dr. Sarekson Carrera came in last. Gamor surrendered the tactical station to Phillips and took the empty pilot’s chair.   
            Dr. Carrera headed directly to the captain’s office. The door opened before he got to it and Justice Irons’ voice could be heard beyond, “Come in, Sarekson.”  
            Moments later, Ensign Sun Ho Hui arrived at the bridge. At that same moment, the door to the captain’s office opened, disgorging Dr. Carrera, Winnifred Salazaar, Pep and finally Justice Minerva Irons. The cramped bridge was now crowded.

            Irons had donned the robe of her office as appellate justice. She addressed the Hunter’s crew.   
            “Shipwide: This is At-Large Appellate Justice Minerva Irons. I have issued an emergency judgement against Fleet Admiral Scumuk and have lodged this judgement and the accompanying injunction with Star Fleet. Whether Star Fleet agrees with me or not is irrelevant. You are a JAG crew and you will follow the orders of the Tribunal above any Star Fleet orders. I have never instructed you to violate the orders of an admiral before and I am not instructing you to do so now. I am issuing an emergency injunction against Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s orders under Section 3 of the Federation Charter and in agreement with Section 9 of the Tribunal Charter and Section 4 of the Star Fleet Charter. Admiral Scumuk is not in control of his faculties or is under the control of another entity and is currently enjoined against issuing any orders under the color of his rank and office. Any orders you may have received from him in the past 48 hours are null and void  
            Everyone on the bridge was focused on the justice. She spared a moment to look around the bridge. Her crew were stunned, but had clearly digested and accepted her ruling. She turned to her first officer. “David, stop that ship before they commit another genocide. I will be in ground operations, then medical.” Irons turned and exited the bridge, followed by Dr. Carrera.

8.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Fleet Admiral Scumuk (Scumuk)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Los Angelas, California, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 8.1  
> Age when introduced: 202  
> Role: Director of Star Fleet Medical


	75. Episode 8.2 - The Bolian Web: Dr. Napoleon Boles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Star Fleet Lieutenant Dr. Napoleon Boles has been on vacation on Paleonus V. He suddenly finds out this planet has been quarantined and he is now the only living sentient being on the planet...
> 
>  _Dr. Boles’ skin was a deeper blue than his uniform and his hairless head had stripes of such dark blue they were almost black. His skin was shiny and almost iridescent, giving the top of his head the appearance of a fine agate marble. Boles was tough, conditioned to stand up to this kind of work. Only this wasn’t work. This was vacation..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The mystery of Paleonus V gets a little thicker... 
> 
> This was a particularly fun chapter to write as I recall. Some chapters I have to really tear out of my hands. This one just came bubbling out.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 2 - Dr. Napoleon Boles

8.2  
Dr. Napoleon Boles

            The smilmonouth was not a particularly sneaky predator. It is difficult to sneak up on prey when you are 15 meters long and the ground shakes with every step. Nevertheless, the large, smelly predator was doing its best to creep up on its small, blue prey. The smilmonouth could move easily on all six legs, but the front two feet were differentiated from the others, allowing the enormous beast to raise the front half of its body into a vertical position, grasp its prey, rend it and bring the pieces to its slavering mouth and enormous fangs.   
            Nearly every large animal on Paleonus V was hexapodous and almost all except for the largest herbivores could stand up on their hind legs, but the smilmonouth was the only one with significantly differentiated forefeet. There was little chance this would lead to tool development as the beast’s teeth and size made it easily the apex predator on the planet, and it tended to be a solitary predator.  
            As such, it was entirely unprepared for the astounding amount of blinding pain that suddenly overwhelmed it. Each time it backed away from its blue, bipedal prey, the pain stopped. Each time it advanced, there was a flash of light and more blinding pain. The smilmonouth was nowhere near sentient, but it was easily smart enough to figure out that this prey was better left alone. The enormous carnivore slinked away in search of less electrifying prey.  
            Dr. Napoleon Boles put his phaser away and brought out his tricorder again. He was not afraid of the smilmonouth (thanks to the standard issue Star Fleet phaser rifle he kept handy against the local wildlife.) He had actually gotten much closer to the apex predator during its sleep and had the readings and close-up video to prove it. There were smaller, stealthier and much faster predators he was far more concerned about.  
            He was still clad in his blue Star Fleet uniform, but only because it was by far the most durable and comfortable garment he had ever worn. Dr. Boles’ skin was a deeper blue than his uniform and his hairless head had stripes of such dark blue they were almost black. His skin was shiny and almost iridescent, giving the top of his head the appearance of a fine agate marble. Boles was tough, conditioned to stand up to this kind of work. Only this wasn’t work. This was vacation.

            But all good things must end and after 30 days living in seclusion among the wildlife of Paleonus V, Dr. Boles was nearing the research station on the southeastern continent. His tricorder was full, his phaser batteries were almost depleted, his ration bag was empty, the small amount of water left in his canteen was suspiciously brackish, his uniform seriously needed to be recycled and his stomach was starting to make rather alarmingly rebellious noises.  
            Research Station P5’11 was concealed in a rocky dell where the large animals could not get to it. And on the door of P5’11 was a red band, sealing the door. For the first time in 30 days, Dr. Boles turned his communicator on and immediately received the quarantine message. He cleared this message and sent an emergency broadcast, hoping against hope that someone might be listening.

            Ensign Ethan Phillips was still at the tactical station when the message came through.  
             “Commander, we have a transmission coming from the planet, audio only…”  
            “Put it through, Ethan,” Pep responded.  
            “…quarantine is about? Message repeats - This is Star Fleet Lieutenant, Dr. Napoleon Boles to any research station or any vessel that can read this signal. I am requesting emergency beamout. And can someone please explain to me what this quarantine is about?”  
            “You can reset your communicator, Dr. Boles. This is the U.S.S. Hunter in orbit of Paleonus V, David Pepper commanding. We are reading your location just outside Paleonus V research station #11. Do not enter the research station. I repeat, do not enter the research station. Dr. Boles, we are reading your physiology as bolian. Can you confirm? You have an odd name for a bolian.”  
            “It is good to hear your voice, sir. I am half bolian, half human. I have no intention of entering the research station, but I am not safe in this location. My supplies are depleted and I just used most of the remaining charge in my phaser fending off a large predator. There are other predators that can get to me down here. Can you beam me out?”  
            “Not at this moment, Dr. Boles, but we will send you a hardened shelter, a fully charged phaser and food supplies. You should receive these within the next 15 minutes. We are reading that your communicator is fully charged - can you confirm?”  
            “Confirmed. I had my communicator turned off while I was taking shore leave,” Boles responded.  
            “Keep this channel open, Dr. Boles,” said Pep.  
            “Can you tell me where the Atul Goel is?” Boles asked.  
            “The Atul Goel broke orbit about 45 minutes ago, why?” asked Pep.  
            “Why did they leave without me?”  
            “I cannot answer that question, Dr. Boles. Were they supposed to pick you up?”  
            “I am their life sciences officer. I took 30 days leave, which will be up in about 2 hours.”

            Pep swiveled the captain’s chair to look at Ensign Ethan Phillips. He pointed sharply at the door at the back of the bridge. Phillips looked questioningly at his first officer. Pep rolled his eyes, then placed his hands near the top of his head, his index fingers extending just above his antenna mounts. He wiggled his fingers and moved his head from side to side in a caricaturization of Investigator Shran’s head and antenna movements. He then used a finger to point to the door, then made a summoning motion. Phillips nodded and exited the bridge.

            “We were unaware,” Pep continued, at the same time as he was giving Ensign Phillips an order by pantomime. “It’s been a busy time up here and you might have gotten lost in the shuffle. Conference mode Dr. Boles, cargo bay 2.”  
            “This is cargo bay 2, Ensign Sun Ho Hui here.”  
            “Hui, are you ready to transport the shelter and other supplies down to Dr. Boles?”  
            “Affirmative, Commander,” came Sun’s voice. “Dr. Boles, we now have a visual on your location. I will send you a phaser rifle first. You will need to take it, then step out of the protected area so we can beam the shelter in. I have tied the replicator into the transporter, so we will be actually replicating the shelter on location using local materials. Once the shelter is in place, I will transport the supplies and the shelter door directly into the shelter. At that point you can enter the shelter and secure the door.”  
            “Napoleon, this is Commander Pepper signing out. Please keep this channel open. I’m going to leave you in contact with Ensign Sun. Hui, once you have secured Dr. Boles in the shelter, please transfer him to Medical and let the Doc update him about the quarantine.”  
            “Aye sir,”  
            Ensign Phillips had returned to the bridge and ended the transmission. Investigator Lynhart Shran had followed Phillips onto the bridge.  
            Pep motioned for Shran to join him, “Come on down here, Lenny. Hunter...”  
            The avatar appeared in his preferred location behind the navigator’s station.  
            “Hunter, I recall you said the transmission from the Atul Goel informed you that there were 17 bolian crew members, all dead. Was there any mention of a half-bolian, half-human crew member?”  
            “There was no mention at all of Lieutenant Boles,” the avatar replied. “The record indicated there was an open position for a large animal life scientist.”  
            “Lenny, check this out. Find out where our Dr. Boles came from, when he got here - I want to know everything about him. Let Lieutenant Tauk know that I asked and I want those answers fast.”  
            “Sure thing, boss. Tauk and T’Lon are meeting with the judge at the moment,” Shran replied.  
            Pep responded. “I know. That’s why I summoned you. Interrupt them. This is important. They need to know that we have a mystery on our hands here.”  
            “You mean another one, boss. They seem to be multiplying,” Shran observed.  
            Pep nodded and raised his eyebrows, “Get to the bottom of them, Lenny. Go get me some answers.”  
            Shran nodded, then turned and left the bridge.

8.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Lieutenant Napoleon Boles (Napoleon)  
> Human Ethnicity: African American  
> Additional Species: Bolian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cloddy, Bolarus IV  
> Introduced: Episode 8.2  
> Age when introduced: 33  
> Role: Large Animal Biologist, U.S.S. Atul Goel


	76. Episode 8.3 - The Bolian Web: Bulldog Xhot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Captain John Kelly is a prisoner in his own quarantine bay.
> 
>  _“No, this is a good one. I never told you this one - it gets passed only to Star Fleet captains - from one to another. He told me to have a backup plan in case my crew suddenly turn into zombies and remove my command access codes. And have another backup plan in case that one doesn’t work. I actually have three. I never thought my crew would actually turn into zombies. But here we are…”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Atul Goes is named after Dr. Atul Goel - a neurosurgeon in India who hopefully will become a great enough doctor to name the flagship of Star Fleet Medical after..

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 3 - Bulldog Xhot

8.3  
Bulldog Xhot

            Being in the brig was almost a blessing to Captain John Kelley. He barely knew what was going on, but at least he was in control of his own mind.   
            The U.S.S. Atul Goel was a medical ship and as such did not have an actual brig. What it did have was 8 separate quarantine facilities, each of which looked onto the main surgery. As a result, Captain Kelley and several of his staff had a front row seat for the suffering and deaths of their bolian crewmates. All 17 of them.  
            What few glimpses Captain Kelley got of the rest of his crew made it evident that they were operating under extreme duress. They were clearly aware of what they were doing, evidently horrified by their actions, but unable to control their own behavior.  
            The expressions on the faces of his crew were heart breaking. These people had somehow been coerced not only to kill their friends and crewmates, but to watch them die agonizing, lingering deaths. From disease. Inside Star Fleet’s most advanced mobile medical facility.

            “What makes matters even worse is that it is Fleet Admiral Scumuk who is doing all of this,” Kelley said to his cellmate, first officer and best friend, Commander Ardoggbul Xhot. “I even know a few vulcans who get teary eyed at the mention of his name. He’s the most decorated officer in Star Fleet history - a hero to all of us.”  
            Commander Xhot nodded. He was a great listener and also an expert wrestler. He was of average size and build for a bolian - a people not remarkable for physical strength. But Ardoggbul Xhot was the type who never gave up. He had managed to live through hardships that killed everyone else around him. And given his prowess at wrestling, he had earned the nickname that had started as a simple pun on his first name - Bulldog. He looked the part too… Bolian features added a bit to this as well - like most of his people, in addition to the powder-blue skin and the bifurcating ridge down the middle of his face, Bulldog’s eyes were a little bulbous and bulgy and his mouth a little on the jowly side.  
            Few humans found bolians to be even mildly handsome, but Captain Kelley had long become accustomed to that face - it was the face of a tremendously courageous officer. And Kelley’s best counselor.  
            “I can’t let things end this way, Bulldog,” Kelley said to his friend. “I don’t know how, but I can’t let that old vulcan’s career end this way. Scumuk’s my hero too. He has literally saved entire civilizations from the brink of extinction. No one knows more about weaponized diseases than the admiral.”  
            Bulldog didn’t say anything. He nodded his head sagely, then cast a glance at the door to the quarantine unit that had the captain trapped.  
            “You know, I think I told you that my grandfather was a Star Fleet captain, as was his father, his great-grandfather and great-great grandfather. And amazingly, Grandpa’s still alive. Captain Phillip Archer. When I got promoted, he told me one of his secrets.”  
            Bulldog raised an eyebrow (more of a ridge as bolians were completely hairless).  
            “No, this is a good one. I never told you this one - it gets passed only to Star Fleet captains - from one to another. He told me to have a backup plan in case my crew suddenly turn into zombies and remove my command access codes. And have another backup plan in case that one doesn’t work. I actually have three. I never thought my crew would actually turn into zombies. But here we are…”  
            Bulldog just looked at his friend. Questioning.  
            “Yeah, well, all of those plans are contingent on me not being quarantined in my own sick bay,” Kelley said, somewhat chagrined. “I suppose that might have been a bit of an oversight…”  
            Actually, Kelley only thought these things. If he had given them voice, Scumuk might have overheard. The other reason he did not voice his conversation was that Commander Ardoggbul Xhot, the Bulldog, was, like all of his bolian crewmates, no longer alive. Kelley had watched his best friend die only a few feet away from him. On a table in his own sick bay.

\- * -

            Knocking a starship out of high warp without destroying it was a tricky prospect. Doing so to a Star Fleet Medical ship was far more problematic. SFM boats had only nominal phasers - incapable of damaging another ship - just a navigational tool. But what SFM boats lacked in weapons, they made up for in speed and exceptionally stable warp fields.   
            This was why Ensign Sun had been called to the bridge - to develop a method for safely knocking the Atul Goel out of warp and disabling it beyond repair without endangering the lives of its crew or the survivors of Paleonus V onboard. But the tactical unit only accommodated a crew of three and for this mission, there was not room for an engineer.  
            Navigator Eli Strahl stayed focused on his job. Like many of the Hunter’s crew, he was terrified of Mlady - in his case because it was nearly impossible for him to ignore the volatile cauldron of utterly alien, primal thoughts sitting inches behind him. She was always terribly hungry, even after she had fed. How she kept that terrible hunger under control was beyond Strahl.  
            Kenny Dolphin, seated to Strahl’s left, was somewhat more peaceful, but was deliberately hiding things and had his defenses up. For a human, he had become very sensitive to telepathic contact. Strahl kept his focus far outward, using his mind as well as the tactical unit’s navigational instruments to seek out the Atul Goel.

8.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Captain John Kelley (John)  
> Human Ethnicity: English American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: San Francisco, California, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 8.3  
> Age when introduced: 54  
> Role: Captain, U.S.S. Atul Goel
> 
> Character: Commander Ardoggbul Xhot (Bulldog)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bolian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Cloddy, Bolarus IV  
> Introduced: Episode 8.3  
> Age when introduced: Dead  
> Role: Executive Officer, U.S.S. Atul Goel


	77. Episode 8.4 - The Bolian Web: Paleonus V Planetary Epidemiologist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The mysterious Star Fleet lieutenant, Dr. Napoleon Boles, is stranded on Paleonus V. He has no crew, no assignment, and no one is coming to pick him up. So Justice Irons gives him a new title and a job to do...
> 
>  _In the executive conference room, once the transmission from Dr. Boles was ended, Pep asked, “So, who here is convinced that our new blue friend didn’t remove himself from the Atul Goel’s roster?”_  
>  _Pep looked around the room. Silence._  
>  _“That’s what I thought…”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The title of this episode is a riff on one of the original series episodes - The Tholian Web. But Tholians and Bolians are about as diametrically opposed as possible. Tholians are red. Bolians are blue. Bolians are famous for being exceptionally polite and sociable. Tholians won't talk to you unless they have no other choice...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 4 - Paleonus V Planetary Epidemiologist

8.4  
Paleonus V Planetary Epidemiologist

            In addition to a fully charged phaser rifle, food, water, a fresh uniform, and basic living accommodations inside the shelter, Dr. Napoleon Boles had also been provided a decontamination chamber (in which he was finally able to take a desperately needed shower) and a workstation. He would have preferred to have been transported off Paleonus V, but although Admiral Scumuk’s quarantine order had been rescinded, Dr. Tali Shae had reissued the planetary quarantine under her own authority. It was a reasonable precaution.   
            At this moment, Dr. Boles was looking into the workstation viewer that had been sent down to his shelter and observing the faces of the leadership of the Hunter for the first time. They were seated around a long, curving conference table that matched the curvature of the room. Boles had heard of Captain Irons, but was astonished she was not only still alive, but commanding a JAG vessel. Given her history, he would have expected her to look much older than she appeared on his viewscreen.

            “So you presented us with a little mystery, Dr. Boles,” said Commander David Pepper. “When we had contact with the Atul Goel, someone sent us the crew roster and there was no mention of you.”  
            “That’s nuts!” Boles exclaimed, eliciting surprised looks from some of the Hunter’s leadership. Bolians were famous for being extraordinarily polite in the most difficult of circumstances. “I started as a midshipman on the Atul Goel three years ago. It’s the only Star Fleet vessel I’ve ever served on.”  
            Dr. Tali Shae responded, “Yes. We pulled your Star Fleet jacket and that’s what it says as well. It also says that you have been authorized by the Tribunal to practice Federation law.”  
            “All bolians are encouraged to practice law. Ability to practice Bolian law is a prerequisite for full citizenship with voting rights. Any official positions with the Bolian government require us to be authorized to practice Federation law as well. I have some ambitions in that direction after my service with Star Fleet is up.”  
            Justice Irons spoke up. “Unfortunately, I must temporarily assign you as Star Fleet’s researcher on Paleonus V until we can clear the quarantine. I am temporarily assigning you to Lieutenant Commander Tali Shae’s department as planetary epidemiologist. I know that may be outside your training, but you are stuck there on the ground, no one else is coming, and you cannot leave, until we clear the planet. We have transferred the entire transmission from Admiral Scumuk on the Atul Goel to your work station. Unfortunately, that is all we have on this disease, so you don’t have much to work with.”  
            “I would appreciate the promotion if the circumstances were not so dire. As it is, I quite literally have nothing better to do,” Boles responded. “I have studied disease at some detail as it impacts my field of specialty. I am not an expert in epidemiology, but I have sufficient knowledge to start with. And you have provided me sufficient tools to begin this investigation. Do you have any idea why I was erased from the Atul Goel’s records?”  
            Pep responded. “We’re just guessing up here, Napoleon, but I think you might have had a friend who saw what was happening and took you out of the system to protect you. Someone wants to leave a trail of bolian bodies. Whoever took you out of your ship’s computer, whatever their motive, probably saved your life.”  
            “We’re going to end this transmission for now, Lieutenant,” Irons said. “In one hour, Dr. Tali Shae will contact you and get you working with her staff to help solve the riddle on your end.”  
            “I appreciate everything you and your crew are doing for me. I will be here when Dr. Shae is ready for me,” Boles said.  
            “Thank you, Dr. Boles,” Irons replied. “Hunter out.”  
  
            In the executive conference room, once the transmission from Dr. Boles was ended, Pep asked, “So, who here is convinced that our new blue friend didn’t remove himself from the Atul Goel’s roster?”  
            Pep looked around the room. Silence.  
            “That’s what I thought…”  
            Lt. Tauk coughed for a moment, then said, “It leaves a lot of unanswered questions.”  
            Irons looked at Tauk. “Get Lieutenant T’Lon and her investigators on those questions. We have far too many mysteries at the moment. And send me the current crew roster for that ship. I want to know who is onboard and who is in quarantine.”  
            Dr. Tali Shae was also looking at the director of ground operations. “Tauk, I would like to borrow Ensign Tolon and his team. I know those kids are fighters, not scientists, but they have been useful in processing information in the past. With Reeves’ leadership, they might be able to lend a hand in searching through our readings of the planet to see if we can get a glimpse of our superbug. Especially if we can get Dr. Boles to take some readings.”  
            Tauk started to answer, made a slight noise, then nodded his head. He took a drink and cleared his throat. “I’ll tell him.”  
            Justice Irons clicked her fingernail against the table, garnering the attention of all in the room. “In light of all that has happened here, I have reached out for some assistance – a war ship to watch our flank. David, until that help arrives, I want to maintain yellow alert status. Whoever is behind all of this might just show up or send someone to investigate and we are vulnerable with the tactical unit away in pursuit of the Atul Goel. Also, please notify me when our relief arrives – I will want to greet them.”

8.4


	78. Episode 8.5 - The Bolian Web: Hunting the U.S.S. Atul Goel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter's tactical unit is hunting Star Fleet Medical's flagship, the U.S.S. Atul Goel...
> 
>  _Orion women were often referred to as “slave-girls” because their pheromones tended to overwhelm the males of most humanoid species (and more than a few females) with lust, affording them tremendous suggestive control over those affected. And orion women were exceptionally resistant to telepathic control...._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This segment is part of a larger story arc for Lt. Cmdr. Mlady, becoming less concerned about letting her crew members see some of her behaviors unique to her physiology as well as her wicked sense of humor. And Lt. Dolphin becoming more comfortable working under the direct command of a carnivore that could literally eat him...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 5 - Hunting the U.S.S. Atul Goel

8.5  
Hunting the U.S.S. Atul Goel

            To pull off the plan developed by Sun and Carrera to disable the Atul Goel, the tactical unit needed a navigator who was abnormally adept at tracking (the telepathically endowed Eli Strahl = check), a pilot of unrivaled skill (daredevil Kenny Dolphin = check) and a tactical officer with a predatory instinct (ultimate apex predator Mlady = check). It was a complicated plan and only possible because Dr. Carrera had been able to pull down fully detailed specifications for the medical ship.

            “Found them,” said Navigator Strahl, breaking nearly an hour of silence. “We’re in luck. They’re trying to be clever. They changed course and made a wide swing away from the Bolarus system to try to throw off any pursuit. I am projecting a curving trajectory back toward the Bolarus system. This delay lets us catch them much further out than if they had made a straight run for it.” Strahl was seated at the navigator’s station, with Dolphin at the pilot’s console inches to his left and Lt. Commander Mlady in the command chair centered inches behind them.  
            “Can we cross the T, Eli?” Dolphin asked.  
            “Better than planned,” Strahl responded. "We can swing wide in front, then come around tight behind. We do this right, we’re going to bring them to a full stop in dark space well off the beaten path. Nowhere near the trade routes.”  
            “Give us the course and program in the torpedo drops,” said Dolphin. “We blow them when we drop them, and close the box with the last one when we get in behind.”  
            “I want visual on the Atul Goel the entire time,” Mlady stated. “I will choose when to blow the torpedoes. I would rather have a few seconds for us to avoid any potential warpfield cavitation. That could throw our timing off on the back side of the run.”  
            “I can adjust for that on the fly,” Dolphin responded. “You and I would have to be in telepathic contact for you to be able to time anything longer than a drop and boom.”

            “Let me put my claw in your neck.”

            “What???” Dolphin turned to look at Mlady. He had never heard her tell a joke and was fairly certain from her expression that she wasn’t joking now.  
            “It will be quite painful,” Mlady continued. “But it will give me a direct line into your brainstem. I will know what you are going to do before you do.”  
            “Won’t that, like, leave a hole in the back of my neck and bleed a lot?” Dolphin asked.  
            “I could use the blood. And we are carrying a tactical medical hologram who can patch up the hole once I’m done with your brainstem.”  
            “Are you really that hungry?” Dolphin asked.  
            “She’s always starving,” said Strahl. He turned to look at Mlady. “I’m sorry, sir, but with you sitting right behind me, it’s like trying to block out a supernova.”  
            “I’m not going to eat you, Mr. Strahl,” said Mlady. “And I’m not going to hurt you.” She met his gaze until he turned around. Then she leaned forward, her face next to his ear, and said, very, very quietly, “today…”

\- * -

            Crewman Tina Mata was the youngest member of the Atul Goel’s crew. Fresh out of basic training, she had demonstrated a talent for medical technology and had been assigned with four other recruits to the medical bay. She had liked the medical director, Dr. Orazena Varr, more than most. And that was saying something - everyone liked Dr. Varr. Bolians were famous for their courtesy, and were generally easy to like, but Dr. Varr was much more than that. She had cared deeply about each of her charges.   
            And she had cared about Tina - enough to mark the crewman’s Star Fleet jacket restricted and to change her profile on the roster. As far as anyone knew, Crewman Mata was entirely human. Her prescription for vanagralaxaline - the drug that inhibited her pheromone production - remained a secret between her and the ship’s chief medical officer. Mata’s hair was black, her eyes were green, her skin was dark - but there wasn’t a hint of green to the crewman’s skin, so no one could tell by looking at her that she had an orion great grandmother.  
            Orion women were often referred to as “slave-girls” because their pheromones tended to overwhelm the males of most humanoid species (and more than a few females) with lust, affording them tremendous suggestive control over those affected. And orion women were exceptionally resistant to telepathic control.  
            To maintain his control over the remaining crew, Fleet Admiral Scumuk had to condition them with mind-melds on a regular basis. Each time the admiral had conditioned Tina, although he did not know it, his control over her was less effective, until it was only a thin veil. One which she could break - but not until there was an opportunity to do something that had a chance at turning the tables.

          She was in the medical bay when that opportunity arrived...

8.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Crewman Tina Mata (Tina)  
> Human Ethnicity: Mexican  
> Additional Species: Orion  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Mexico City, Mexico, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 8.5  
> Age when introduced: 18  
> Role: Crewman, U.S.S. Atul Goel
> 
> Character: Lieutenant Commander Orazena Varr (Dr. Varr)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bolian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Unknown  
> Introduced: Episode 8.5  
> Age when introduced: Dead  
> Role: Medical Director, U.S.S. Atul Goel


	79. Episode 8.6 - The Bolian Web: Stripping the Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter's tactical unit catches the U.S.S. Atul Goel and with precision tactics designed by Dr. Carrera and Dr. Sun, shuts Star Fleet Medical's flagship down and leaves it dead in space.
> 
> Captain Kelley - with help - makes a play to retake his ship.
> 
>  _Kelley turned toward his assistant medical director, now his highest ranking surviving officer other than the director of engineering - a trill who was firmly under Scumuk’s control. “Dr. Klox, we’re re-taking the Atul Goel. What do we need to do that?”_  
>  _Klox walked over to the medical replicator. “I need this to work. And at least two hours to replicate 60 cubic centimeters of quadropseudoprozadiazomine. Adjusted to 4 different species requirements...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I like the idea of the rawest, greenest recruit saving the day...
> 
> I accidentally posted this story before posting 8.5 and had to cancel. So for about 15 minutes, this story was up before 8.5 was up. I wonder if anyone noticed and then wondered if they had actually read this or if their minds were playing tricks on them.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 6 - Stripping the Ship

8.6  
Stripping the Ship

           The Hunter’s tactical unit dropped five photon torpedoes in space several light years in front of the Atul Goel’s path, then circled around in a tight arc at high warp to come up behind the speeding medical ship. The five torpedoes spread wide to create a large box around the point in space that would soon be occupied by the Atul Goel, then exploded moments before the medical ship arrived so that at the moment the ship passed through this minefield, each explosion would be at its apex. At that same moment the tactical unit, now coming up behind its target, detonated a torpedo just off the aft expression of the Atul Goel’s warp bubble, closing the box - each torpedo exploding just over 2 kilometers away from the Atul Goel. The cumulative effect was to collapse the warp field, bringing the Atul Goel into relative space and at the same time disabling its warp nacelles.  
            The tactical unit raced back and forth, passing close to the Atul Goel, transporting first the control unit for the medical ship’s shields, its tractor beam system, the firing system for its impulse engines, its transporter units and the impeller units on the front of the ship’s two nacelles off of the Atul Goel and into nearby space. On a final pass, the tactical unit beamed out the control panels for all 8 of the Atul Goel’s shuttlecraft, rendering these shuttles inoperable. A field of critical ship’s control systems now floated freely in space about 2 kilometers off the Atul Goel’s stern.  
            The Atul Goel was rendered dead in space, its drive plasma released from its now useless warp nacelles. Stripped of both its warp drive and impulse engines, its transporter units, tractor beam, shields and shuttlecraft, the medical ship was not going anywhere and its crew were trapped onboard.

\- * -

            All of the Atul Goel’s power systems blacked out and the ship went to emergency lighting the moment it was knocked out of warp. The sudden drop to relative space overwhelmed the inertial dampeners, throwing crew about in every compartment of the ship. Crewman Tina Mata was thrown hard against the door to quarantine unit 4. She snapped to life suddenly, reached for the door controls and unlocked the unit, releasing Captain Kelley.  
            The lights came back on almost immediately and the klaxon sounded, announcing the ship was at red alert.  
            Kelley squeezed the young crewman’s shoulder, looked into her eyes and said, “Welcome back, Crewman Mata.”  
            Mata watched in confusion as her captain then strode up to the nearest replicator unit and began rapidly slamming his left fist into the protective cover at the top of the unit, deliberately barking his knuckles against the edge of the unit until they began bleeding profusely. He rubbed his bleeding fist against his right hand, covering the palm and fingers with blood, then slapped his bloody palm down on the replicating platform and said, “Watermelon!!!”  
            Mata was terribly confused, wondering why her captain was so madly desperate for watermelon. But the replicator did not produce any. Instead, the unit went dark - all control panels went dark - the entire ship went dark and all of the doors and bulkheads slammed shut. The red alert klaxon shut off and was replaced by a single announcement in the ship’s computer voice: “Shipwide quarantine is now in effect. Remain in your current location.” The interior lighting went from normal lighting to black light, causing anything white to glow as if with internal light. The words “Shipwide Quarantine” in iridescent letters glowed on both sides of every door and every emergency bulkhead.  
            Captain Kelley went to quarantine unit 3, which contained Dr. Klox and 6 other crew members whom Scumuk had been for some reason or other unable to control. The captain placed his bloody palm on the control panel. The panel lit up immediately, enabling Kelley to release his crew.  
            During all of this time there were two other crew members, both trill, in the medical bay. They were still under Scumuk’s influence, but they had not been told what to do in case their captain got out of quarantine.

            So they did nothing.

            Kelley ushered the two still entranced trill doctors into quarantine unit 4 and locked them in. He turned to Crewman Mata. “Are you with me?”  
            “Yes, Captain. I’m free now.”  
            Kelley turned toward his assistant medical director, now his highest ranking surviving officer other than the director of engineering - a trill who was firmly under Scumuk’s control. “Dr. Klox, we’re re-taking the Atul Goel. What do we need to do that?”  
            Klox walked over to the medical replicator. “I need this to work. And at least two hours to replicate 60 cubic centimeters of quadropseudoprozadiazomine. Adjusted to 4 different species requirements.”  
            “Five,” said Crewman Mata.  
            Dr. Klox looked at her.  
            “I’m part orion,” she said, very quietly.   
            Captain Kelley said, “I know. And the last, best hope for this ship, as it turned out.” He placed his bloody palm on the medical replicator, activating it, then turned toward the other 7 crew members in the medical bay. “You will keep Crewman Mata’s secret as tightly as Dr. Varr and I have for the past two months since she came on board. I don’t want to hear any teasing about the crewman’s sexual prowess or seductiveness. She’s already had a lifetime of that.”

\- * -

            Lt. Commander Mlady removed her claw from the base of Lt. Dolphin’s neck where it met his shoulder. Dolphin laid his head on his forward, exposing the wound to her and said, “Go ahead, just, please, don’t bite me.”  
            Mlady put her mouth to the wound.  
            “Dr. Kim,” Dolphin called to the tactical medical hologram. He shuddered as he felt Mlady’s tongue entering the deep hole her claw had left in his neck. It felt weird, but it also soothed the pain.  
           The tactical medical hologram appeared in the cramped and now crowded tactical bridge. “When Mlady’s finished, would you please patch up the hole in my neck?”  
            After a few minutes, Mlady leaned back into her chair, which was situated between and immediately behind the pilot and navigation stations. Mlady licked blood off her claw as Dr. Kim used a dermal regenerator to heal the deep wound her claw had left in Kenny Dolphin’s neck. Once the wound was healed, Dr. Kim vanished. Mlady leaned forward and quietly whispered into Dolphin’s ear: “You should increase your protein intake for the next few days.”  
            During this entire time, Eli Strahl had been leaning forward and staring intently at the navigation console. “No response to our hails,” he reported. “I am reading several life forms, but the ship is dark. All systems appear to be off except for basic life support.”  
          “Fine,” Mlady responded. “I’m removing their communications array. If they want to talk to us, they can use a communicator. I don’t want them sending any bogus distress signals.”

8.6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: 2nd Lieutenant Mettus Klox (Dr. Klox)  
> Human Ethnicity: N//A  
> Additional Species: Denobulan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Russ Cavern, Denobula  
> Introduced: Episode 8.6  
> Age when introduced: 49  
> Role: Assistant Medical Director, U.S.S. Atul Goel
> 
> Character: T’Linit  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Sha Ka Rie, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 8.6  
> Age when introduced: 68  
> Role: Spokesperson, Vulcan Naturalborn Coalition


	80. Episode 8.7 - The Bolian Web: Going Viral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> A snippet of another broadcast of Subspace Radio Ivonovic, the Alpha Quadrant's most listened to subversive talk show...
> 
> Dr. Boles does something mysterious... Which is totally in keeping with his character...
> 
>  _Dr. Napoleon Boles raced outside with the tricorder the Hunter had sent him. He swept up the new phaser rifle the Hunter had sent as he opened the shelter door. With a vigorous under-handed pitch, he sent the tricorder spinning high into the sky, then brought the phaser rifle up, set on full power, aimed and hit the airborne tricorder squarely, disintegrating it entirely..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is a setup for things that will happen later in the episode - both with Emory Ivonovic and more immediately with Dr. Boles.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 7 - Going Viral

8.7  
Going Viral

                “…Once again, I want to thank my guest, T’Linit, of the Vulcan Naturalborn Coalition,” Governor Ivonovic intoned. He turned toward the middle-aged vulcan female sitting across from him in a simple, but elegant and comfortable looking overstuffed brown armchair. Aside from the governor and his guest seated in their armchairs and a small table in between that held two glasses of water, the set was an unrelieved black – floor, ceiling and backdrop.  
               “T’Linit, thank you again for reminding our listeners that the naturalborn movement is not a humans-only club, but is nearly universal among all the member species in the Federation who are concerned with this generation of genetically modified masters that are being bred for us.”  
                “As a mother, my concern is for my children and for the future of my people, Governor,” T’Linit responded in an even, smooth voice. “Unless we return to our foundations, there is no future for vulcans. And the future for your people is also unclear. This has been a good and much needed conversation, Governor. Thank you for inviting me to participate in it.”  
                “Again, this is Colony of New Hope Planetary Governor Emory Ivonovic, bringing you Subspace Radio Ivonovic, The Voice of the Naturalborn, from an undisclosed location. This program is your voice. If you have any requests for guests that might appear on this, your program, please reach out by subspace radio to the Colony of New Hope. Although I am not there, messages sent to New Hope Colony will find me. You will hear my voice again. You will see my face again. The naturalborn will not be silenced.”

\- * -

                Dr. Napoleon Boles raced outside with the tricorder the Hunter had sent him. He swept up the new phaser rifle the Hunter had sent as he opened the shelter door. With a vigorous under-handed pitch, he sent the tricorder spinning high into the sky, then brought the phaser rifle up, set on full power, aimed and hit the airborne tricorder squarely, disintegrating it entirely. He could only hope he had done this soon enough and that the apparent total disintegration of the tricorder would be sufficient.  
                He ducked back into his shelter long enough to grab his backpack and canteen. He had a four-hour trek ahead of him. He pulled the communicator off his uniform and deactivated it. He wasn’t certain about the communicator, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

               “Dr. Boles just destroyed his tricorder and turned his communicator off.” Ensign Tolon Reeves was working back in the forensic center, where he had worked for two years before being promoted and moved into ground operations. The difference was that in addition to Dr. Sif, whom he had missed a bit, his tactical squad was with him.   
               “What is he doing now?” Dr. Tali Shae asked.  
               “He appears to be out for a brisk hike,” Tolon responded.  
                “Our new Mr. Blue is just one mystery after another, isn’t he?” Tali mused. “Okay, keep an eye on him. I think he was taking readings inside the research station. Let’s hold up on taking any further readings inside the research stations for now, just as a precaution.”

8.7


	81. Episode 8.8 - The Bolian Web: The Crew of the Atul Goel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Lt. Tauk briefs Justice Minerva Irons and Commander David Pepper on the makeup and status of the crew of the Atul Goel.
> 
>  _Pep turned toward the justice. “You may want to consider revising your ruling against Admiral Scumuk. This sorry mess has been at least a year in the planning, if not longer. How did Captain Kelley not notice his crew was being replaced almost exclusively with trills and bolians?”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have put in a note earlier that the title of this episode, "The Bolian Web" is a play on an episode from the ST Original Series, "The Tholian Web." In this segment, Minerva Irons reveals what the Bolian Web is. Which sets up a little play on words that will show up in another chapter.
> 
> I put some thought into how various species would react to telepathic domination and mentioned in Episode 3 that trills are uniquely susceptible. it makes sense to me that the same personality traits that make them compatible with symbionts would have this effect. There is a trade-off, however, which is mentioned in this segment.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 8 - Crew of the Atul Goel

8.8  
Crew of the Atul Goel

                Lt. Tauk and Commander David Pepper were in the captain’s office. To the right of the captain’s desk, a holographic collage of 50 faces hovered.  
  
                “17 bolian crew members. All dead,” Tauk said. 17 blue faces faded out of the collage. “One presumed half-bolian, half-human crew member – on vacation and now stranded on Paleonus V.” Dr. Boles face, a far deeper blue than his fellow bolians, faded out of the collage.  
                Tauk coughed, took a drink and continued, “Captain John Kelley, Assistant Security Director Nancy Strange, Chief Security Specialist Wang Chu, Security Specialist Johnny Dunn – all human; all in quarantine.” Four faces were moved out of the collage to a separate area and were displayed behind bars.  
                “Assistant Engineering Director Maerk, vulcan, Assistant Medical Director Mettus Klox, Dr. Vesna Klox, Dr. Indaura Strek – all denobulan – also in quarantine.” These faces were also moved behind bars with their human crewmates.  
                “Notice anything about the remainder?” Tauk asked.

                Pep let out a low whistle. “Lots of trills.”

                Tauk nodded. “Only three humans left. All the remaining crew members, all 21 of them – trills.”  
                Justice Minerva Irons asked, “Any joined trills? Any symbionts?”  
                Tauk shook his head slowly.  
                Irons took a deep breath, sighed. “Un-joined trills. Extremely susceptible to telepathic control.” She caught Tauk’s grim expression. “That isn’t all, is it?”  
                “The majority of those trills – and the majority of the bolians – 17 trills and 11 bolians – all were transferred to the Atul Goel during the past year. The 3 humans not in quarantine – raw recruits – fresh out of basic training.”  
                “The moment that humans are uniquely susceptible to telepathic domination,” Irons concluded.  
                Pep turned toward the justice. “You may want to consider revising your ruling against Admiral Scumuk. This sorry mess has been at least a year in the planning, if not longer. How did Captain Kelley not notice his crew was being replaced almost exclusively with trills and bolians?”  
                Irons made a harrumphing noise, then said, “I’m sure he was aware, David. But he had no reason to think anything ill of it. His executive officer was bolian. Birds of a feather. And trills are exceptionally quick learners – it takes less than a quarter of the time to train a trill in protocol and routine tasks than it takes for pretty much anyone else. They make good teachers for the same reason. Captain Kelley was probably delighted to have such a concentration of them. Especially on a medical ship, where routine and attention to procedure is vital.”  
                Lt. Tauk cleared his throat, took a drink, and then addressed his captain. “Your honor, why the bolians? I didn’t think they had any enemies.”  
                “The Bolian Web,” Irons replied. “The Bolian Web is one of the newest member governments within the Federation, but in less than 100 years they have become vital to nearly every sector of Federation society. Bolian freighters carry almost a quarter of Federation commerce. Bolian contributions to medical technology rival the denobulans. And, not insignificantly, bolians occupy and patrol a strategic portion of Federation space between Earth and Vulcan that was once patrolled largely by the Vulcan Space Command. Their homeworld is almost in the exact center of Federation space. A sudden depopulation within the Bolian Web would be a devastating blow to the integrity of the Federation.”

8.8


	82. Episode 8.9 - The Bolian Web: Carved In Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The mysterious Dr. Napoleon Boles sends the U.S.S. Hunter a cryptic message...
> 
>  _"That,” said Investigator Buttons Ngumbo as Boles was completing the fourth row of characters, “That is a really clear picture of his communicator. But what’s the next symbol?”_  
>  _“Chinese,” said Justice Minerva Irons. “Symbol for understanding. There are several. Dr. Boles has selected a two-symbol group that means specifically to comprehend, see, grasp or follow.”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Different characters might immediately assume they understand the message before Boles completes it. 
> 
> But the Hunter's crew are trained scientists - trained not to jump ahead but to go over everything thoroughly until they're certain they understand - and even then not to be too quick to think they've understood it all...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 9 - Carved in Stone

8.9  
Carved in Stone

                Dr. Napoleon Boles had arrived at his destination – a river bank at the foot of a large, sheer cliff of exposed granite. He had both phaser rifles with him. Both were now fully charged. With a few short, broad-beam blasts on low power, he frightened the wildlife away, causing a stampede of some of the largest herbivores on the planet. The thunderous cacophony of their panicked, if ponderous exit was enough to frighten away everything else, from the giant smilmonouths to Paleonus V’s pesky version of stinging, dangerously large, furry insects.  
                The stampede alone would have been sufficient to draw the attention of the Hunter’s crew even if they had not already been watching Dr. Boles’ every move.  
                Boles set down his backpack, slung one phaser rifle to his back and got to work with the other one – swiftly and confidently using a beam about the width of his thumb to carve a large, pictographic message into the cliff face nearly 200 meters from where he was standing on the other side of the river – in characters easily large enough to be seen from orbit.  
                He could only hope that his cryptic message would be understood. There just wasn’t enough clear cliff face to spell it out in English.

                “What is he writing?” asked Dr. Tali Shae. She had gathered the senior staff and Lt. T’Lon, along with her investigators in the executive conference room. They were watching a holographic representation of the cliff face as Dr. Boles was carving his message into it with his phaser rifle. He handled the weapon with the swift, sure movements of an artist using a paint brush.  
                T’Lon picked out the first character. “That is a bolian standard symbol for communication. The third symbol on the top line is the vulcan standard symbol for computer.”  
                Dr. Carrera followed up. “That’s definitely the mathematical notation for ‘does not equal’.”  
                “Communication does not equal computer?” Pep asked.  
                “Computer again,” said T’Lon.  
                Tali Shae caught the symbol at the beginning of the second row in the exposed granite. “Star Fleet Medical – symbol for virus.”  
                Dr. Carrera summarized. “Virus equals computer?”  
                Investigator Shran marveled at Dr. Boles’ artistic ability. “He’s quite talented with that phaser. I can hit anything I see, but I could never draw like that. He’s really good at it.”  
                “Bolian symbol for communication…” said T’Lon as the third row emerged from the contact between Boles’ phaser beam and the cliff face.  
                “Inside the Star Fleet Medical standard notation for Quarantine.” Tali Shae continued. “Quarantine communications?”  
                “He did turn his communicator off,” said Tauk.  
                “That,” said Investigator Buttons Ngumbo as Boles was completing the fourth row of characters, “That is a really clear picture of his communicator. But what’s the next symbol?”  
                “Chinese,” said Justice Minerva Irons. “Symbol for understanding. There are several. Dr. Boles has selected a two-symbol group that means specifically to comprehend, see, grasp or follow.”  
                “Four dots?” asked Tauk as Dr. Boles completed his message with very little clear cliff face to spare.  
                “Four beeps,” Shran corrected. “He’s saying if we understand this message, we should beep his communicator four times. But I don’t understand the rest of the message.”  
                “Evidently he’s done,” said Lt. Tauk, suppressing a cough. “He seems to be heading back to his shelter.”  
                “Okay,” said Dr. Tali Shae. “Let’s take it in the order that he carved it: “1. Communication does not equal computer. 2. Virus equals computer. 3. Quarantine communication. 4. Beep if you understand.”  
                Lt. T’Lon spoke up. “We need to consider what he did before setting out to send us this message.”  
                “He vaporized his tricorder and turned off his communicator,” Tali Shae responded.  
                “The system shows his communicator as active now,” said Dr. Carrera.  
                “Could he have destroyed his tricorder because he thought it was infected with a computer virus?” asked Tauk. “He might have turned off his communicator because he thought it might be infected as well.”  
                “Hunter,” called Dr. Carrera.

                The elderly appearing ship’s avatar appeared in the conference room.  
  
                “Deep virus scan all of your systems. We might have picked up a bug from the Atul Goel’s transmission or since then from our scans of Paleonus V.”  
                “I am detecting four potentially infected sectors. I am isolating them now.” Hunter replied.  
                “Infection point of origin?” Carrera asked.  
                “Transmission from the Atul Goel, transmission from the quarantine buoys, scans of research station 11 from Dr. Bole’s tricorder, scans of the other research stations using the primary sensor array,” Hunter listed.  
                “Can you counteract?” asked Carrera.  
                “I already have and I have created physically isolated units that will preserve the virus. It is slow acting but is designed to replicate itself using either the replicator or the transporter once the program has successfully deployed.”  
                “David, deactivate those buoys!” said Justice Irons. “Sarekson,” she continued as Pep bustled out of the room, “What will it take to jam out the transmission the buoys have sent out so far?”  
                “They’re just transmitting locally using frequency modulation, so the signal is only moving at the speed of light," Carrera replied. "We don’t use subspace radio for quarantines – that would create a hazard to navigation. To jam out the entire signal pattern from the buoys, we would have to travel in a globular pattern, working from the outside of the radio transmission bubble inward toward the planet and emit a powerful jamming signal in those frequencies. They've been transmitting about 6-hours... We would have to build and deposit jamming buoys in each location – each one would have to emit a jamming signal for 6-hours as the transmission passes through its location. I estimate a total time of 127 hours for sufficient coverage. I can speed it up a little by using the interceptors and the wagon to help distribute the buoys.”  
                “Begin!” said Irons.  
                Carrera got up and left the room. As he exited, he started gathering resources: “Lieutenant Gamor, Sun and Moon, please meet me in the engineering conference room immediately. Gaia – please bring your entire department…”  
                Tali Shae looked at Justice Irons. “Should we beep Dr. Boles and let him know we understood his message?”  
                “Not until we understand all of it,” Irons responded. “I need a complete analysis of the virus that Hunter has isolated. I need to know exactly what those buoys have been transmitting. Lieutenant Tauk - I need you to contact the tactical unit and inform them of the situation. We’re infected - they’re infected. Have them isolate and remove the infected sectors immediately. They also need to prevent the Atul Goel from sending any transmissions. And get both of your teams on Dr. Boles’ message. I want a thorough analysis and recommendations for action in one hour.” Irons got up and left the room.

8.9


	83. Episode 8.10 - The Bolian Web: Computer Virus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Tali Shae and Tauk report on what they have learned about the computer virus. It's biological...
> 
>  _Tali Shae looked horrified. Tauk looked horrified. Pep looked horrified. T’Lon’s eyebrow was twitching - almost a nervous breakdown for a vulcan..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I think what I'm about to describe in this chapter should be possible. Not that I want anyone to actually try to make it happen. We have more than enough problems with viruses as it is...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 10 - Computer Virus

8.10  
Computer Virus

            “This is the ugliest nightmare of a bug that I never even dreamed of…” Dr. Tali Shae, Lt. Tauk and Lt. T’Lon were in Justice Irons’ office, along with Pep. Tali Shae looked horrified. Tauk looked horrified. Pep looked horrified. T’Lon’s eyebrow was twitching - almost a nervous breakdown for a vulcan.

            “At first we thought we were dealing with two viruses,” Tali Shae continued. “A computer virus that hijacks the nearest transporter, replicator - and a long list of similar tools to build the biological virus, which in turn kills bolians, makes andorians extremely ill and has as yet unknown effects on other species.”  
            Justice Minerva Irons was getting used to things going from bad to worse at this point. “So what are we actually dealing with, Tali? Multiple viruses?”  
            “One. One biological virus that contains the computer virus, which contains instructions for building the biological virus. Scan a victim with any medical scanner and the scanner is infected.”  
           Irons had realized long ago that her best friend’s emotional state could be gauged by the movement of her antennae. At the moment she was so upset her antennae were almost bumping into each other in agitation.  
           “Do you have any idea how many tools can be used to replicate this virus?” Tali Shae continued. “Not just food replicators and transporters… Medical tricorders, hypo-spray units, forensic diagnostic systems, surgical diagnostic systems, waste-recycling processors, air recycling processors, water recycling processors, shield emitters, holographic emitters, tractor beam emitters, at least a dozen systems in the warp core. Even the artificial gravity generators could be reprogrammed to replicate this virus.”  
            Lt. Tauk cleared his throat. “My teams are developing a comprehensive list of such tools, and every time we think we thought of everything this virus could use to replicate itself, we end up coming up with more systems that could do it.”  
            “This thing is the product of a sick mind,” Tali Shae followed. “You remember the legends of the progenitors?”  
            “The ancient race that seeded our galaxy with their DNA in hopes that there would be many races like them - the parent race for all humanoids,” Justice Irons responded. “Heard of them. They left tantalizing fragments of their civilization all over the galaxy - not to mention all of us. In their own words we are a monument ‘not to their greatness, but to their existence.’ They vanished apparently overnight.”  
            “We have always thought they were wiped out by a weaponized disease that could be spread electronically” Tali said. “This bug would be a contender. It is designed to be a civilization ender. Whoever cooked up this bug doesn’t care whether anyone survives it. Let it get out in the wild and it will mutate. It is the single most dangerous thing I think we have ever encountered.”

8.10


	84. Episode 8.11 - The Bolian Web: Jamming Buoys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Sarekson Carrera oversees the manufacture and deployment of the jamming buoys needed to keep the computer virus from spreading from the infected signal coming from the quarantine buoys left behind by the U.S.S. Atul Goel... 
> 
> Until a pair of gigantic starships show up...
> 
>  _Midshipman Tammy Brazil in transporter room 1 and Transporter Engineer K’rok in transporter room 2 were working non-stop to pull minerals out of the rocky surface of Paleonus III and deposit them in near orbit. Lt. Moon Sun Salek was using the cargo bay transporter tied in to the replicator system to transform these raw materials into very simple jamming buoys._  
>  _Dr. Carrera was monitoring all of these processes from the bridge of the Hunter. Ensign Tolon Reeves spoke up from the tactical station, directly behind the captain’s chair. “Two ships coming in at high warp. Dr. Carrera - they’re big!”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I accidentally published 8.12 briefly, but took it down. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. I will put 8.12 up tomorrow.
> 
> This chapter is about how to solve a physics problem. One that involves jamming a radio signal that is only poking along at the speed of light... But doing so in a growing spherical bubble...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 11 - Jamming Buoys

8.11  
Jamming Buoys

            Dr. Sarekson Carrera was in the captain’s chair, overseeing the construction of jamming buoys to jam the signal from the quarantine buoys. Those quarantine buoys had broadcast for just under six hours. At the moment Pep had shut the buoys down, their radio broadcast had reached a sphere with a radius of about six light-hours. But that sphere kept growing at the speed of light.  
            There was no way the Hunter could travel far enough fast enough and stay long enough in each location to prevent that signal from getting through and eventually contaminating shipping lanes. Sarekson had to do a tremendous amount of math in his head and the answer was, counting the time it would take to reconfigure the transporters to mine materials, reconfigure the replicators to build jamming buoys and use the Hunter, the wagon and the two interceptors to deploy them, they would have to manufacture and deploy 9,287 jamming buoys.  
            This process started near Paleonus III, one of three rocky, nearly molten planets close to the Paleonus star. The planet had no atmosphere, but it was the most accessible repository of the minerals Dr. Carrera needed to manufacture the buoys.

            It had taken nearly 30 hours to manufacture nearly 3,000 buoys, complete with batteries capable of at least 6 hours of power for the radio jamming signal and position stabilizers. Carrera chose to use the transporters to construct the buoys in space on the dark side of Paleonus III. The Hunter had to remain on location, replicating thousands of jamming buoys in space using materials from the planet below. The wagon could carry five and drag an additional five using its tractor beam. The interceptors could each drag four buoys with their tractor beams.   
            Ensign Sun Ho Hui was overseeing deployment of the buoys from the wagon, jumping out to the edge of the radio broadcast bubble, deploying 18 buoys at a time.  Each leap required the three small vessels to jump further from the Paleonus star system and the 18 buoys they could carry as a group covered a smaller portion of the surface of the sphere as the bubble of radio transmission continued to expand outward at the speed of light.  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil in transporter room 1 and Transporter Engineer K’rok in transporter room 2 were working non-stop to pull minerals out of the rocky surface of Paleonus III and deposit them in near orbit. Lt. Moon Sun Salek was using the cargo bay transporter tied in to the replicator system to transform these raw materials into very simple jamming buoys.

            Dr. Carrera was monitoring all of these processes from the bridge of the Hunter. Ensign Tolon Reeves spoke up from the tactical station, directly behind the captain’s chair. “Two ships coming in at high warp. Dr. Carrera - they’re big!”  
            “Captain to the bridge!” Carrera said, standing up. At the moment he called for her, Justice Irons stepped onto the bridge, followed by Pep, Tauk, T’Lon and Dr. Tali Shae.  
            Irons strode over and sat in the captain’s chair. “On screen!”  
            Ensign Tolon had already focused the viewer on the two ships. He increased the resolution in response to Irons’ order. Dr. Carrera walked to the back of the bridge and stood next to Tolon Reeves.  
            Two ships, one enormous and rather ungainly looking, the other about four times the size of the Hunter, sleek and rather intimidating looking, came out of warp about 1,500 meters off the Hunter’s bow. The Hunter could fit several dozen times into the larger ship, which was about 3-4 times the size of a Galaxy Class starship.  
            “We’ve got a signal,” said Ensign Tolon.  
            “Put them through, Ensign,” said Irons.  
            A bolian female in an unfamiliar uniform appeared on the screen. “Justice Minerva Irons, this is Commissioner Rianila Qotor representing the B.W.S.V. Vyvya and Malinia.”  
            “Commissioner Qotor, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, Justice Minerva Irons commanding. I take it you received my message and have hardened your systems against the virus carried by the quarantine buoy transmission?”  
            “We kept our shields up when entering the Paleonus system and have been monitoring our computers for any potential infection,” the bolian commissioner responded.  
            “Commissioner, your early arrival is greatly appreciated. I would like to introduce you to our Director of Engineering, Dr. Sarekson Carrera.” Justice Irons gestured toward Carrera who was standing behind her. Carrera raised his hand and waved.  
            “How many warp capable support craft are you carrying?” Irons asked.  
            Commissioner Qotor answered, “115.”  
           “If you can coordinate with Dr. Carrera for your support craft to help position the jamming buoys that we are constructing, it would greatly improve our strategic position here and possibly help prevent any contaminated signal from escaping,” Irons said.

8.11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Commissioner Rianila Qotor  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bolian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Keldor, Corridan  
> Introduced: Episode 8.11  
> Age when introduced: 61  
> Role: Commissioner, Bolian Homeworld Fleet Operations


	85. Episode 8.12 - The Bolian Web: Infected Units

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Captain John Kelley arms his few remaining crew members to retake the U.S.S. Atul Goel from Fleet Admiral Scumuk and his crew of zombies...
> 
> Meanwhile, Kenny Dolphin and Mlady are crawling around the tactical unit, removing infected computer components.
> 
>  _“Phasers on heavy stun.” Kelley was distributing hand phasers. There were a total of 10 phasers stored in the medical bay. He kept two for himself. “Avoid Admiral Scumuk if you can. If you can’t avoid him, keep your phaser on him on heavy stun for at least four seconds to make sure he’s unconscious.”_  
>  _“He is an old man. That might kill him,” Mata objected._  
>  _“He might kill you,” Dr. Klox countered. “He is an old vulcan and he’s still three or four times stronger than you are and resistant to the phaser’s stun effect. Four seconds.”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I accidentally published this segment before 8.11 and had to pull it back. Getting senile in my old age...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 12 - Infected Units

8.12  
Infected Units

            Retaking the Atul Goel was a step-by-step process. Once the recently freed staff had been inoculated against telepathic domination, along with the captain, Dr. Mettus Klox injected the two trill doctors in quarantine with quadropseudoprozadiazomine, a dangerously powerful neural stimulant and the only drug known to both break and block the effects of a vulcan mind-meld. Only a small amount was needed for inoculating crew who had not been subjected to the admiral’s mind-meld. This dramatically reduced the unpleasant and quite debilitating secondary effects of the drug. The two trill doctors who had been telepathically dominated needed a full dose, which was far less pleasant.  
            It took only a minute for the drug’s primary impact to take effect. Both doctors were immediately freed from the effects of Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s mind meld. They then braced themselves for the secondary effects - between 10-30 hours under the influence of a powerful hallucinogen.  
            The doctors voluntarily re-entered quarantine.

            Dr. Klox handed a hypo-syringe to Captain Kelley. “1.5 cc for trills, 1 cc for humans.” He continued handing hypo-syringes to the other crew members.  
            “Phasers on heavy stun.” Kelley was distributing hand phasers. There were a total of 10 phasers stored in the medical bay. He kept two for himself. “Avoid Admiral Scumuk if you can. If you can’t avoid him, keep your phaser on him on heavy stun for at least four seconds to make sure he’s unconscious.”  
            “He is an old man. That might kill him,” Mata objected.   
            “He might kill you,” Dr. Klox countered. “He is an old vulcan and he’s still three or four times stronger than you are and resistant to the phaser’s stun effect. Four seconds.”

\- * -

            Onboard the tactical unit, things had gotten a bit weird. Nearly half the computer system had become contaminated. Lt. Kenny Dolphin and Lt. Commander Mlady had to rip the contaminated circuits out, piece by piece, while Navigator Eli Strahl maintained and monitored the functioning systems to make sure the infection did not spread. Infected systems included the Tactical Medical Hologram, the holographic emitters, the transporter system, and several components within the impulse drive and the deflector arrays. While the warp drive was intact, with the deflector screen disabled, the tactical unit was dead in space for all practical purposes. Without navigational screens, the unit would be shredded by space dust and trace gasses within seconds of traveling at warp.  
            Dolphin and Mlady crawled about inside the bridge, then into the maintenance hatchway behind the bridge, then from there into smaller and smaller areas, removing contaminated components by hand. Several areas were too tight for Dolphin to get into. Mlady’s diminutive size became vital to removing contaminated components in those areas. They met up the torpedo tube, where they deposited the contaminated components and used atmospheric pressure to eject the various infected circuitry out of the rear torpedo tube.   
            This primary weaponry area below the bridge was not heated and was only pressurized on those rare occasions crew were in this area. Mlady had slowed to the point she was barely moving and Kenny Dolphin had to lift and pass her over his body into the hatch leading up to the primary maintenance crawlway behind the bridge. This process was considerably hampered by her voluminous bundles of thick, black, wavy hair. By the time he crawled up into the hatch alongside her, she was almost comatose.   
            This hatchway also led up into the crawlways for the engines, making it the warmest area in the tactical unit. With some difficulty, Dolphin bundled Mlady’s hair and lifted her on top of him as he crawled backward to lie on the floor of the crawlway, bringing her to lie on top of him. His body had generated a lot of heat crawling around. Mlady was so cold he could almost feel his body using hers as a heat sink.  
            “I really want to bite you now,” Mlady said. Her words were slow and slurred.  
            “Please don’t. I don’t want to be modified.” Dolphin replied.  
            Mlady stretched against Dolphin, laying her neck across his chest, flattening herself tightly against him, turning slightly to absorb as much of his warmth as possible. “It’s always so cold. Living among you humans. You keep your environments so cold.”  
            Dolphin wrapped his arms around Mlady. For someone so physically powerful and with such outsized personal presence, she was surprisingly tiny. Her bushels of dark, wavy hair made her appear almost twice as big as she actually was. Her body was tiny, but extremely muscular – even more muscular than T’Lon. It was like holding a wild animal - dense muscle and bone - restless energy.  
            “You miss holding her, don’t you?” Mlady’s voice was stronger now. She sounded more conscious, more coherent.  
            “Yes.” Dolphin knew Mlady was talking about T’Lon. There was no point lying or obfuscating in the company of so many telepathically endowed individuals. Eli Strahl was only a few feet away, on the bridge, probably doing his best to not overhear his shipmates’ thoughts.  
            “Humans and andorians are the warmest,” Mlady mused, sounding sleepy again. “Your body temperature is so much warmer than vulcans, denobulans, klingons, even bajorans. It’s cold on that bridge. Mr. Strahl doesn’t miss us. We both make him uncomfortable.” Her voice was even slower now. “You enjoy warming me.”  
            “Yes,” Dolphin admitted.  
            “You enjoyed feeding me.”  
            “Yes.” Dolphin suppressed a shudder. He wasn’t comfortable with that fact. But there was no denying it.  
            Mlady’s breathing became deeper, more regular, accompanied by an odd, deep vibration that seemed to permeate her neck and torso, producing a slight rumbling sound not unlike a cat’s purr, but much deeper – a powerful vibration. The sound had a profoundly soothing effect on Dolphin.

8.12


	86. Episode 8.13 - The Bolian Web: B.W.S.V.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The bolians make short work of the monumental task the Hunter started.
> 
>  _“B.W.S.V.? I’ve never heard that designation. I had no idea the bolians had such advanced ships,” said Flight Specialist Dih Terri, currently at the pilot’s station on the Hunter’s bridge. “That Vyvya is nearly as big as a Borg Cube...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Earlier I mentioned a pun that was set up by the title of this episode. Here it is...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 13 - B.W.S.V.

8.13  
B.W.S.V.

            Commissioner Rianila Qotor responded to Justice Minerva Irons’ request by ending transmission and immediately launching 110 shuttlecraft from the Vyvya and 5 interceptors from the Malinia - or that’s how it first appeared. The shuttles and interceptors were based on Star Fleet design, but both were significantly larger than their Star Fleet counterparts. The interceptors were clearly more heavily armed and armored and were capable of independent warp travel, not just restricted to warp jumps like the Hunter’s interceptors. The shuttles were neither armed nor armored - they were just big – nearly twice the size of a standard Star Fleet shuttlecraft.  
            The bolian shuttles quickly picked up all of the few thousand jamming buoys the Hunter had manufactured and immediately set about distributing them. The Vyvya then joined in manufacturing the buoys. It had taken the Hunter almost 30 hours to manufacture about 3,000 buoys. The mammoth Vyvya manufactured the balance needed - just over 4,500, within 15 minutes.  
            Commander David Pepper and Lt. Sarekson Carrera watched in awe, along with others on the Hunter’s bridge as the two bolian ships and their fleet of support vessels made short work of the task the Hunter had spent nearly 30 hours to get far less than halfway done. 

            “B.W.S.V.? I’ve never heard that designation. I had no idea the bolians had such advanced ships,” said Flight Specialist Dih Terri, currently at the pilot’s station on the Hunter’s bridge. “That Vyvya is nearly as big as a Borg Cube.”  
            “Bolian Web Service Vessel,” Dr. Carrera responded. “Many of the Federation member governments maintain their own fleets in addition to their participation in Star Fleet. Bolian ships are nowhere near as fast or advanced as Star Fleet vessels. But they make up for it in size and versatility. The Vyvya is the smallest and newest of four so-called commission vessels. The biggest one is about 5 times as big as a Borg Cube and can carry over 8 million people. They made these things for planetary evacuation missions, but the Vyvya is special. In fact, it’s just what we need.”  
            “Why?” asked Dih. “Aside from carrying like about a thousand shuttlecraft, that is.”  
            “Star Fleet helped build the Vyvya. It’s the fastest of the bolian commission ships,” Carrera answered. “It can get up to warp 6, but more importantly, it carries four level-8 quarantine bio-labs.”  
            “I assume the Malinia can go faster?” Dih mused.  
            “Bolian warships aren’t designed to run away,” Pep responded. “They’re for planetary defense. Made to hold the line until Star Fleet shows up. The Malinia may be slow, but it’s essentially a spaceborne fortress. Bolians are one of the newest members of the Federation. Everyone has noticed their courtesy and skill at small talk. But before they joined the Federation, they turned back a number of invasions, including a serious incursion by the Nausican Collective.”  
            “Courtesy is their first line of defense,” Dr. Carrera observed. “Bolians are famous for talking their way out of tough spots. They send their commission ships wherever they are needed, but not their war ships. They rely on Star Fleet escorts outside of bolian space. Most people are entirely unaware the bolians even have combat vessels. It’s not something they advertise.”

8.13


	87. Episode 8.14 - The Bolian Web: Hot Spots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Justice Irons and Commissioner Qotor lay out their plans for the next steps in containing the supervirus. Captain Kelley and crew set out to re-take the U.S.S. Atul Goel. 
> 
> _“I am aware of Napoleon Boles,” said Commissioner Qotor. “Bolian father, human mother. That young man has a very troubled past..."_
> 
>  _Mata counted her breaths, keeping her phaser trained on the apparently unconscious vulcan. Her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. She keyed her communicator: “Dr. Klox, Dr. Klox – this is Crewman Tina Mata…”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is a fairly big chapter with a fair amount of action. I had broken it up, but it was just a bit too segmentish and it's time to get on with things...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 14 - Hot Spots

8.14  
Hot Spots

            While her crew were watching and coordinating with their bolian counterparts to contain the contaminated quarantine radio message, Justice Minerva Irons was in her office along with Dr. Tali Shae, continuing her conversation with Commissioner Rianila Qotor. Commissioner Qotor had brought her medical director, Dr. Gyna Vadero, in the conversation as well.  
            “There are two contaminated hot spots at this point,” Tali said. “We are reasonably certain that the research stations on Paleonus V are all contaminated. We were able to detect several dead bolians inside each station.”  
            Dr. Vadero responded. “For now, we will consecrate those stations as graves. We cannot retrieve those bodies. Paleonus V will have to remain under quarantine.”  
            “The other hot spot is the U.S.S. Atul Goel, which we currently believe is the point of origin,” said Justice Irons.  
            Dr. Vadero looked surprised. “The flagship of Star Fleet Medical?” she asked.  
            “Worse than that,” Irons intoned. “We believe this supervirus was designed and developed by Fleet Admiral Scumuk. It appears he is under alien control.”  
            “That is exceptionally bad news, your honor,” said Commissioner Qotor.  
            Dr. Tali Shae smiled slightly at the commissioner’s turn of phrase, similar to the way Justice Irons used the language.  
            “You took the words right out of my mouth,” Irons said. “This boat comes in two parts, the platform, which you see now, and the tactical unit, which can support three crew members. That unit, with my second officer on board, stopped the Atul Goel, but its computer systems were also infected. I do not know yet whether its crew have been infected – we have not had contact since advising them to physically remove any corrupted computer components.”  
            “We also have an officer stranded on Paleonus V,” Dr. Tali Shae added. “A Dr. Napoleon Boles, large animal life scientist.”

            “I am aware of Napoleon Boles,” said Commissioner Qotor. “Bolian father, human mother. That young man has a very troubled past. What is his current situation?”

            “We have provided him a hardened shelter and some advanced equipment,” Justice Irons responded. “But I am concerned the equipment we provided might have become contaminated. He vaporized the tricorder we sent him and he was the one who alerted us that the virus infects computers as well as animals.”  
            “I will arrange for him to be resupplied in another location,” said Commissioner Qotor. “We will advise him to destroy the contents of his current shelter.”  
            “That will be greatly appreciated, Commissioner. I need to take the Hunter to reconnect with our tactical unit, which is currently containing the Atul Goel. We could use your help there as well.”  
            “Go ahead, Justice Irons. We will follow once we have replaced the quarantine buoys around Paleonus V and supplied your Dr. Boles. I intend to destroy the contaminated Star Fleet buoys except for one. We will isolate that in one of our level-8 quarantine labs for study.”  
            “Just remember, that superbug was specially designed to kill bolians,” Dr. Tali Shae warned.  
            “We will leave that laboratory in solar orbit. We will also leave our interceptors and several support vessels in this system to make sure no one violates the quarantine.”  
            “Again, Commissioner, your help is greatly appreciated here,” said Justice Irons. “We will look for your arrival at the quarantine site for the Atul Goel. Hunter out.”

\- * -

            Captain Kelley took Chief Security Specialist Wang Chu and Crewman Tina Mata with him to retake the Atul Goel’s computer core. He had provided computer access to each of the seven crewmembers who had not been conditioned by Fleet Admiral Scumuk and to Crewman Mata, who had been able to break free without the use of the powerful neural stimulant quadropseudoprozadiazomine. No one else on board would be able to open any of the doors or emergency bulkheads. Or so he thought…  
            The critical areas to control were the bridge, medical bay and main engineering (a team of two was assigned to take and hold each of these areas), but more important than any of these was the ship’s computer core. The Atul Goel’s computer core was one deck below the medical bay, which, with the ship locked down, required passage through three emergency bulkheads on deck 6 to get to the maintenance crawlway that led down to deck 5.  
            Chief Wang and Captain Kelley had just dropped out of the maintenance crawlway onto deck 5 and Crewman Mata was emerging from the crawlway head first. The emergency bulkhead leading to the port side of deck 5 opened, revealing Fleet Admiral Scumuk crouched on the floor.

            The elderly vulcan opened fire with his phaser at full power, first at Chief Wang, then at Captain Kelley, vaporizing each of them.

            Without leaving the maintenance crawlway, Mata trained her phaser on the elderly vulcan and maintained a solid beam at the heavy stun setting. She carefully counted to four seconds, released the beam and watched. Scumuk dropped his phaser and collapsed, apparently unconscious.   
           Mata remained inside the maintenance hatch, observing. The admiral had dropped his phaser. A quick blast from her phaser sent the admiral’s weapon skipping across the floor and down the hallway beyond. The admiral remained motionless.

            Mata counted her breaths, keeping her phaser trained on the apparently unconscious vulcan. Her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. She keyed her communicator: “Dr. Klox, Dr. Klox – this is Crewman Tina Mata…”  
            “This is Mettus Klox, go ahead Crewman…”  
            “Sir, I am on deck 5. Captain Kelley and Chief Wang have been vaporized. I have the admiral here – I think he’s unconscious…”  
            “Remain in a position of safety, Crewman. We will join you there. Keep your guard up and remember, even if Scumuk is unconscious, there may be someone else nearby. Watch your flank.”

8.14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Director Gyna Vadero (Dr. Vadero)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Bolian  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Tragorran, Bolarus IV  
> Introduced: Episode 8.14  
> Age when introduced: 29  
> Role: Medical Director, B.W.S.V. Vyvya
> 
> Character: Chief Security Specialist Wang Chu (Chu)  
> Human Ethnicity: Chinese  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Ba Sing Se, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 8.14  
> Age when introduced: 19  
> Role: Security Officer, U.S.S. Atul Goel


	88. Episode 8.15 - The Bolian Web: Rescuing Dr. Kim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin makes the case for rescuing the infected Tactical Medical Hologram (Dr. Kim)
> 
>  _Tali Shae was sitting in Justice Irons’ office. “Pompous ass,” she muttered quietly, earning a chuckle from Justice Irons._  
>  _“Evidently you forgot that Dolphin’s Ph.D. is in ethics, Tali,” Irons said._  
>  _“That’s what makes him a pompous ass,” Tali said, her antennae twitching..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dolphin's decision to rescue the TMH becomes important again and again in the episodes ahead...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 15 - Rescuing Dr. Kim

8.15  
Rescuing Dr. Kim

            Pep was in the captain’s chair as the Hunter linked up with the tactical unit. For more than an hour the tactical unit remained sealed while Kenny Dolphin and Mlady crawled through every section once again to verify that all of the infected sectors had been removed.

            “We have reviewed the remaining crystals and neural units,” Mlady reported from the bridge of the tactical unit. “Scans of myself, Lieutenant Dolphin and Navigator Strahl all are negative. None of the remaining components are infected. All personnel are safe.”  
            “Not all personnel,” Dolphin interjected.  
            “Mr. Dolphin,” Tali Shae’s voice came in, “Mlady just reported that you, Strahl and she are in the clear, are you telling me one of you is infected?”  
            “Affirmative, Doctor,” said Dolphin. “Doctor Kim is infected. And she’s out there floating about a half-kilometer to our stern.”  
            “We cannot beam the TMH unit back aboard. It could infect the transporter system,” Dr. Shae said. “Hunter has the original schematics, we can reconstruct the Tactical Medical Hologram.”  
            “And lose everything she has learned since being activated,” Dolphin responded. “Your honor, let me take an interceptor. I’ll get out there, pop the bubble, go EVA and bring her back by hand.”  
            “You have quite the thing for Dr. Kim, don’t you,” Tali Shae teased.  
            “She watched me while I slept. She patched me up. We don’t leave our people behind,” Dolphin replied. “Take your pick.”  
            “All of the above,” Justice Irons responded. “Okay hero, choose your bird and go rescue your damsel. Irons out.”

            Tali Shae was sitting in Justice Irons’ office. “Pompous ass,” she muttered quietly, earning a chuckle from Justice Irons.  
            “Evidently you forgot that Dolphin’s Ph.D. is in ethics, Tali,” Irons said.  
            “That’s what makes him a pompous ass,” Tali said, her antennae twitching.  
            Justice Minerva Irons stood up and straightened her neck. “Well, let’s go greet our heroes.” She gestured toward the door leading from her office onto the Hunter’s bridge and followed her best friend.

\- * -

            Dr. Boles set out once again from the shelter the Hunter’s crew had created for him, only after removing the control units from the workstation and decontamination chamber and turning these to slag with a few quick high-power blasts from his phaser. He vaporized his old communicator, keeping the new communicator provided by the Vyvya. At his request, the Vyvya had created the new shelter for him near a waterfall that was about a full day’s journey from his current location. It would be a good place for long term survival in case he never got off this planet.  
            With two nearly fully charged phaser rifles and an extra, fully charged hand phaser in his belt, Boles remained wary and watchful, but was not particularly worried about the many predators between him and his new shelter.  
            His new benefactors were far less talkative than the crew of the Hunter. Boles had left a bit of a reputation behind him on his homeworld. But that was just fine for him. A month of solitude with no conversation would drive pretty much any bolian straight out of his mind. Napoleon Boles was, however, a bit of a loner. This enjoyment of solitude was not too unusual among humans, but generally considered a sign of serious mental illness among bolians.

8.15


	89. Episode 8.16 - The Bolian Web: The Case For Quarantine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin goes EVA to rescue Dr. Kim. Dr. Carrera, Dr. Tali Shae and Justice Irons consult with Dr. Mettus Klox about the prognosis for the U.S.S. Atul Goel.
> 
> _Irons spoke up, “Dr. Klox, I assume since you are reporting that you are currently the ranking officer. What happened to your captain?”_   
>  _“Captain Kelley was vaporized by Fleet Admiral Scumuk while we were retaking the ship,” Klox responded. “Your honor, I am placing the Atul Goel under full quarantine. All crew members are latently infected. We have all recovered, except for our bolian crew members, who are all dead. But the virus is still active and it is an airborne virus...”_
> 
> _Dolphin brought up a phaser rifle and flipped up the targeting scanner. He used the scanner to individually target each piece of computer that he and Mlady had ejected. With the phaser at full power, set to wide beam and pulse mode, he set about destroying the other infected computer systems. A popup display inside his helmet had a list of these removed components and checked them off as he destroyed them..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I never spell it out, but an EVA suit is a suit designed for Extra Vehicular Activity - it's a space suit.
> 
> The phaser rifle does not have any recoil, therefore it can be fired in free fall and will not alter your spin while in free fall. Try doing that with a .44 magnum and each shot will send you spinning like a top...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 16 - The Case for Quarantine

8.16   
The Case for Quarantine

            Commander David Pepper stood up as Dr. Tali Shae and Justice Irons stepped onto the bridge. At the same time, Lt. Commander Mlady emerged from the hatch that led to the tactical unit.  
            Lt. Dolphin was next out of the hatch. As Navigator Eli Strahl followed Dolphin out of the hatch, Dr. Sarekson Carrera stepped onto the bridge from the rear entrance. He was carrying an insulated case.  
            “Kenny, who is going after Dr. Kim?” Carrera asked.  
            “I am,” Dolphin replied. “Were you listening in?”  
            “No, but I figured you would assign someone to pick her up. We can’t beam the TMH unit aboard,” Carrera continued. “It might contaminate the transporter.”  
            Tali Shae rolled her eyes, her antennae mimicking and exaggerating her eye movement.  
            Irons put her hand on Tali’s shoulder and said, very quietly, “Deja vu?”  
            Carrera handed the insulated case to Dolphin. “Please isolate her in here. Be careful not to touch any part of the TMH unit so your EVA suit is not at risk.”  
            “Got it,” Dolphin replied, tucking the case under his left arm. “Anything else?”  
            “Yes, actually. While you’re out there, just use a few quick phaser blasts to vaporize the rest of the infected components. Do the same to all the critical systems you pulled off of the Atul Goel. Let’s not leave any infected components floating around out there.”  
            Dolphin looked down to his left and raised his right hand. The two men briefly clasped hands, then Dolphin exited the bridge.

            Justice Irons allowed herself a private smile at this display of camaraderie between her director of flight operations and director of engineering as she sat down in the captain’s chair.  
            “David, please debrief the away team individually,” Irons said.  
            “Eli,” Pep said, “You with me. Lieutenant Commander, get some sack time, I’ll catch up with you after.”  
            Irons turned toward Dr. Carrera as Mlady, Pep and Eli Strahl exited the bridge. “Lieutenant, I want you to listen in and assess the situation over on the Atul Goel.” Irons signaled to Flight Specialist Joey Chin, currently at the tactical station behind her.  
            “Channel open, your honor,” Chin said.  
            “Atul Goel, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, Justice Minerva Irons commanding, please respond.” Irons watched the image of the medical ship on the main viewscreen. The Atul Goel was evidently dead in space. The front of its engine nacelles were exposed to space - only a few remaining traces of its drive plasma drifting nearby. The ship’s running lights were off. No lights could be seen in any of the windows.  
            Joey Chin spoke up. “Your honor, we’re receiving a communicator signal. Audio only.”  
            Irons signaled with two fingers and Chin put the signal through.  
            “Hunter, this is Dr. Mettus Klox. I was working with Captain Kelley and a few others to retake our ship. Fleet Admiral Scumuk has been sedated and is in quarantine. We have treated all the staff against telepathic domination. Unfortunately the cure is debilitating, so there are only 7 of us and we are unable to reactivate the ship’s systems.”  
            “Dr. Klox, this is Dr. Tali Shae, Hunter’s medical director. What did you use to treat the crew?”  
            “Dr. Shae, we have 21 trills and two humans enduring the secondary effects of a full dose of quadropseudoprozadiazomine. I have them either in quarantine or under close observation in the mess. We also used it on the admiral, although he is, at the moment, unconscious.”  
            Irons spoke up, “Dr. Klox, I assume since you are reporting that you are currently the ranking officer. What happened to your captain?”  
             “Captain Kelley was vaporized by Fleet Admiral Scumuk while we were retaking the ship,” Klox responded. “Your honor, I am placing the Atul Goel under full quarantine. All crew members are latently infected. We have all recovered, except for our bolian crew members, who are all dead. But the virus is still active and it is an airborne virus.”  
            “Dr. Klox, you need to be aware this virus is also a computer borne virus,” Tali Shae interjected.  
            “Computer borne? How is that possible?”  
            “The virus carries in its genetic code a computer virus, which, when scanned, infects medical diagnostic equipment. It is designed to take over pretty much any replication hardware, such as a transporter or a hypo-spray unit and use that to generate more physical copies of the virus. At this point it is safe to say that all of the Atul Goel’s computer systems and probably every tricorder and every piece of medical equipment you have is also infected.”  
            “Dr. Klox, this is Lieutenant Carrera, Hunter’s Director of Engineering. During the attack on your ship, our tactical unit beamed out all of your transporter control circuitry, your shields, drivers for your shuttlecraft - and much more. The mere act of transporting all of that out spread the virus in our attack vessel. We had to remove nearly half of the components from that vessel. At the moment we’re vaporizing all of that removed circuitry.”  
            “Then this ship needs to be destroyed,” Dr. Klox concluded.  
            “That would be my recommendation,” Dr. Carrera agreed. “We just need to find a way to get all of you off of it first - and then cured. Until then, you will need to remain onboard and the ship in quarantine.”

\- * -

            Lt. Kenny Dolphin was piloting interceptor 2. He had evacuated the atmosphere in the cockpit. Dolphin was wearing an EVA suit. The computer components he and Mlady had ejected from the tactical unit several hours before had spread out over an area of nearly a kilometer. He had matched speeds with the Tactical Medical Hologram unit, a plug-in component about 4” long, 2” wide and less than a quarter-inch thick.   
            He opened the bubble, exposing the cockpit to space and kicked off very lightly, floating slowly out of the cockpit, a tether trailing behind him. As he caught up with the TMH unit, he brought up the case Dr. Carrera had given him. He opened the case, let the TMH unit drift into it, then closed the case and released it. The case drifted away from him, but it was also connected to the same tether that connected him to the interceptor.  
            Dolphin brought up a phaser rifle and flipped up the targeting scanner. He used the scanner to individually target each piece of computer that he and Mlady had ejected. With the phaser at full power, set to wide beam and pulse mode, he set about destroying the other infected computer systems. A popup display inside his helmet had a list of these removed components and checked them off as he destroyed them.  
            He used slight twists and turns of his torso to alter his spin, turning very slowly to be able to continue targeting until he cleared the list. Once the list was cleared, he re-slung the phaser rifle, reached for the tether and pulled himself back into the interceptor, along with the case that contained Dr. Kim.

8.16


	90. Episode 8.17 - The Bolian Web: The U.S.S. Atul Goel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The Atul Goel is evacuated and Dr. Klox has a momentous decision ahead of him. Admiral Scumuk is cured, but in some ways the cure is worse than the disease...
> 
>  _Transporting howling, frightened, hallucinating crew members from the Atul Goel by walking them into the quarantine lab was a slow, difficult task for Dr. Klox and his small team. The affected crew members could only be moved one at a time..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Only one more segment in this episode... And only two more Episodes left in Series 1. 
> 
> I'm not finished writing Series 2, so there may be a bit of a break so I can complete or get near the end of Series 2 and re-write it backward the way I did with Series 1. I had Episode 10 more or less completed before I started posting Series 1.
> 
> Thanks for reading! rbs

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 17 - The U.S.S. Atul Goel

8.17  
The U.S.S. Atul Goel

            The arrival of the Vyvya and Malinia nearly twelve hours after the Hunter’s arrival at the quarantine site for the Atul Goel brought home to the Hunter’s crew how spoiled they had become to traveling at extremely high speeds using recursive warp, also known as the zip drive. The Vyvya and Malinia had been traveling at warp 5, obeying the Federation’s speed limit as the emergency had been, for the moment, contained.  
            The Vyvya disgorged one of its level-8 quarantine labs, which then maneuvered alongside the Atul Goel and docked with the defunct medical ship. Transporting howling, frightened, hallucinating crew members from the Atul Goel by walking them into the quarantine lab was a slow, difficult task for Dr. Klox and his small team. The affected crew members could only be moved one at a time. But the lab was well apportioned enough to afford individual accommodations for each.   
            30 surviving crew members from Atul Goel. 13 survivors from Paleonus V. And finally, in a straitjacket and fastened firmly to a gurney, Fleet Admiral Scumuk, his head rolling, eyes unfocused, raving incoherently. The only words he said were, “you must go to the library! The library! Go to the library!” endlessly repeated.

            Justice Minerva Irons was in communication with Dr. Mettus Klox as the Vyvya’s quarantine unit undocked and moved away from the now evacuated Atul Goel.  
            “I am only a second lieutenant, your honor. I’m not certain this is my decision to make.”  
            “Lieutenant Klox, you are the commanding officer of the Atul Goel,” Irons replied. “You are the only person who can make this decision.”  
            Dr. Klox sighed. “I never wanted to command a star ship. I only joined Star Fleet because I fell in love and it was going to be the only way for me to stay close to my first wife. Five years ago I was just a simple country doctor. Now both my wives are in Star Fleet - which means I am too. Probably for life.”  
            Klox sighed again, then keyed his communicator. “Atul Goel, this is Lieutenant Klox, commanding. Execute order 86. Keyword - papaya.”  
            Captain Kelley had preemptively authorized self-destruct hours earlier; Dr. Klox’s order completed the sequence. The Atul Goel’s self-destruct mechanism was designed to dissolve the ship from within rather than causing it to explode and possibly allowing any contaminants to escape. Instead of blowing up, the Atul Goel gradually collapsed into itself in a molten foam of molecular acid. The ship’s hull was the last part to dissolve.

            Justice Minerva Irons and her executive staff watched a holographic representation of the Atul Goel’s final moments in the Hunter’s executive conference room.  
            Irons turned to her people. “So, does anyone have any idea what the admiral was talking about? What library?”

8.17


	91. Episode 8.18 - The Bolian Web: A Dangerous Assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Justice Minerva Irons evaluates her Director of Flight Operations before sending him on a dangerous solo mission. Not so much physical danger - more a danger of damaging his reputation and the reputation of Star Fleet..
> 
>  _If Helen of Troy had a face that could launch 10,000 ships, Justice Minerva Irons had legs that would cause them all to veer off course and run into each other..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The final segment for Episode 8. I will post the first segment for Episode 9: The Library, tomorrow. 
> 
> I have been posting the crew roster at the end of each Episode. I think I will change that habit and begin posting it at the end of the first segment of each Episode when I begin Series 2.
> 
> rbs

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 8 - The Bolian Web  
Scene 18 - A Dangerous Assignment

8.18  
A Dangerous Assignment

            Lt. Kenny Dolphin was disconcerted to find himself summoned not to the captain’s office, but to her stateroom. Justice Irons’ stateroom was the same size as the executive conference room. It was the only one of the three staterooms on board large enough to have a separate sitting room. The area immediately around her couch and armchair was brightly lit, leaving the rest of her chambers in darkness and giving her rooms the illusion of depth, ambient space. Dolphin sat at one end of a brightly lit, simple, but plush green couch and tried to relax.   
            The justice sat across from him in a matching armchair. She was a distractingly beautiful woman, made even more distracting because of her penchant for black silk dresses that emphasized her taut, slender figure. Irons was a Star Fleet officer, but Dolphin had never seen her in uniform. She usually wore opaque black stockings with her almost scandalously short dresses, but not tonight. If Helen of Troy had a face that could launch 10,000 ships, Justice Minerva Irons had legs that would cause them all to veer off course and run into each other. Given her regal bearing, she managed to be simultaneously unbearably alluring and completely unattainable.

            “I want to send you into danger, Lieutenant. Alone. But only if this is a mission that you want to take on. I am not asking you to spy or provide any intelligence. Only to respond honestly to an invitation and while you’re there, to speak your mind. I do not think you will be in any danger of bodily harm – more a danger of opening old wounds.”  
            Dolphin didn’t respond, simply awaited more information. The light fell brightly on Justice Irons’ legs, the light leopard spotting along the sides of her legs that were evidence of recent trill ancestry, her hands folded elegantly in her lap, fingernails and toenails perfectly manicured with a clear lacquer that emphasized her natural colors. Her face was more dimly lit, making her eyes pools of darkness.  
          It was exceptionally difficult for Dolphin to maintain her gaze and his only way of dealing with that was to call on a reserve of self-control that had gotten him through very rough times during his professorship at Harvard. His last few years there had been hellish as his popularity and popular misconceptions about his writings had brought both more applications for enrollment and more controversy to the Harvard Philosophy Department than that department had ever seen since the founding of the university.  
            Irons allowed the silence to linger, watching her director of flight operations – evaluating and appreciating his display of resolve and self-control under duress. After two full minutes of silence – that seemed like two hours to Dolphin – Irons smiled slightly, then said, “Hunter, display the message for Dr. Dolphin.”

            Another overstuffed armchair appeared near the other end of the couch – a brown leather chair that did not match the room’s décor. Governor Emory Ivonovic was seated in it, wearing a simple but elegantly tailored gray suit – or rather, a holographic representation of the gray-suited governor was seated in a holographic representation of a brown leather armchair.  
            “Dr. Dolphin, I am certain I do not need to introduce myself. You may be aware that recently I have been interviewing relevant individuals on Subspace Radio Ivonovic. My followers have overwhelmingly asked for me to interview you and there is no one more relevant to the concerns of the naturalborn than you are.  
            “Very few people know that you joined Star Fleet, but there are some who do and word has made its way to me that you are actually part of the crew that arrested me seven months ago. I want to assure you that I bear you no ill will over that incident. I understand that you joined that crew on the same day that I was arrested.  
            “I am asking you to come to the Colony of New Hope and meet my representatives in the town of Pilgrim’s Landing. There, they will take you offworld to meet me in an undisclosed location for an interview to be broadcast over Subspace Radio Ivonovic. I will broadcast the interview in its entirety, only redacting those parts that you want to keep from being broadcast. You will be treated as an honored guest and safely returned to Pilgrim’s Landing, whence you can make your way back to your post.  
            “This is an invitation only, Dr. Dolphin. I am told you are a private man and that you stopped making public appearances to speak about your books after leaving Harvard University. Under duress as I understand it. If you decide not to come, I will respect your privacy. But a lot of people really want to hear what you think about things – now more than ever. This is an open invitation and it will remain open as long as I am producing Subspace Radio Ivonovic.  
            “Thank you for your time, Dr. Dolphin. I very much look forward to meeting you in person.” The governor’s image, along with his armchair, faded.

            Dolphin sat for a full minute, silently, head rolled back, eyes unfocused, thinking. He took a deep breath and looked over at Justice Irons.

            “I’ll do it…”

8 - The Bolian Web

 

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady 

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon   
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
        Ensign Tolon Reeves  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	92. Episode 9.1 - The Library: The Scumuk Virus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The Ground Operations and Medical departments of the U.S.S. Hunter work with the senior staff in a large meeting to put together the progression of the weaponized virus that threatens the Bolian people...
> 
>  _“We will not be using that name,” said Justice Minerva Irons. “It is bad enough that the greatest doctor and most decorated officer in Star Fleet history is ending his career in ignominy and madness. We will not add insult to injury by allowing his name be used for a bad pun.”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Napoleon Boles definitely played a role in the spread of the disease - but was it voluntary or was he a tool used by someone else?

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 1 - The Scumuk Virus

Episode 9 - The Library

 _“In the popular imagination, competition for scarce resources is the driving force of evolution - natural selection. But even the most cursory examination of successful species reveals the truth that the fundamental driving force of evolution is not so much competition as symbiosis. The battle for survival is won not by individual species, but by coalitions.” Dr. Kenny Dolphin,_ _The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species_ _._

9.1  
The Scumuk Virus

  
            “Seriously - that’s what they’re calling it? The Scumuk virus??” Dr. Tali Shae’s eyes widened and her antennae flexed upward in dismay and anger.  
            “Well, no one has come up with an official name for the virus, so that’s what the bolians and even Star Fleet Medical are calling it,” said Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder. “Oh, Dr. Shae, I have some news. Dr. Klox developed a test for the early stage of infection. It does not rule out the possibility of a false positive, but the chance of a false negative is very low.”

            The medical team, the executive staff and the ground operations team were gathered in the large surgery. The executive conference room was not large enough to support a meeting that included nearly half the crew.

            “We will not be using that name,” said Justice Minerva Irons. “It is bad enough that the greatest doctor and most decorated officer in Star Fleet history is ending his career in ignominy and madness. We will not add insult to injury by allowing his name be used for a bad pun.”  
            “What do we call it?” asked Dr. Jazz.  
            “Following the end of this meeting, you have one hour to figure that out,” said Commander David Pepper. “Give it a name that is descriptive without being insulting and push it out to Star Fleet Medical for approval and official designation.”  
            “We’ll take that as a departmental assignment,” Tali Shae concluded. “Did they preserve any of the Admiral’s notes before they destroyed the Atul Goel?”  
            Lt. Tauk had been coughing very quietly since the beginning of the meeting. He allowed himself a single, louder cough, then said, “They preserved everything. Dr. Klox downloaded the entire ship’s memory core, all of the medical records and all of the logs into a secure, non-transmitting computer on the quarantine unit before giving the self-destruct order. His people have been transcribing logs by hand into another computer - they have plenty of work left to do. But we have already learned a few interesting things. T’Lon?”  
            2nd Lt. T’Lon took up the narrative. “We had a number of questions and Investigator Buttons has been in contact with Dr. Klox to obtain some of those answers. First, it was Admiral Scumuk who removed Dr. Boles from the Atul Goel’s roster. Investigator Shran has been following up with Dr. Boles and put together his itinerary since arriving on Paleonus V. Ensign Tolon and his team have been going over the information gleaned from the P5 research stations - Dr. Klox was able to fill a lot of gaps in our data about those research stations, particularly the disease progression. Hunter - display the history.”

            In response to T’Lon’s request, a holographic display of Paleonus V appeared at the front of the room. As the planet turned, each of the research stations was identified and popped out. The planet faded, leaving a simple grid depicting the 14 research stations as individual, white boxes.   
            T’Lon continued. “Dr. Boles arrived at P5’02 32 days ago by shuttle. According to his account, he was given a hypospray unit and instructed to inoculate himself against potential local pathogens, but not to take the injection until after disembarking the shuttle.” As the assistant director of ground operations mentioned P5’02, the holographic box depicting research station #2 changed color from white to dark blue.  
            “That is a fairly standard precaution to avoid potential exposure to shipboard crew,” said Dr. Sif.  
            “But only used in cases where highly contagious and fast growing pathogens have been documented,” Dr. Chrissiana Trei countered. “And no such pathogens have been identified on Paleonus V.”  
            “Dr. Boles said he was warned about a new virus being spread by the bite of a small insect,” said Lynhart Shran.  
            T’Lon picked up the narrative again. “Dr. Boles transported from P5’02 to P5’12, then spent the next 29 days walking across the continent from P5’12 to P5’11. He had his communicator turned off to save power. The staff at P5’02 and P5’12 were the first to get sick. But not before some had transported from those stations to P5’03, P5’04, P5’09, P5’11, P5’13 and P5’14.” The boxes depicting research stations #12, 3, 4, 9, 11, 13 and 14 each changed from white to dark blue as T’Lon mentioned them. “Staff in those stations got sick and declared a planet-wide quarantine and emergency. While no personnel made any further transfers, they did transfer medical data from their scanners. Within a few days the virus was detected in all the stations. That’s when they put out an emergency call to Star Fleet Medical. But Dr. Lana Eto, one of the human survivors from P5’14, felt that the crew from the Atul Goel were acting strangely. She had served with Commander Pepper on the U.S.S. Archer…”  
            Pep looked up in surprise. “I remember her. I was a 2nd Lieutenant at the time. She was a researcher, sweet kid. But she was only on board for a few weeks. I suppose I should put in a call to her.”  
            “Evidently you made an impression – she was the one who put in the emergency call to us. Apparently she had kept up with your assignments,” said T’Lon.

            Dr. Tali Shae leaned over and said something very quietly to Justice Irons. Irons responded by rapping a table with her knuckles. “David, please take over this meeting. I will need reports from the department directors. Dr. Tali Shae and I need to put in a call to our bolian counterparts.”

            Irons and Tali Shae stood up and exited the surgery.

9.1

  

 

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady 

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon   
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
        Ensign Tolon Reeves  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	93. Episode 9.2 - The Library: Secret Agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin is out of uniform and headed toward The Colony of New Hope via Deep Space 9. 
> 
> He meets a number of denobulan doctors on their way to help solve the bolian crisis...
> 
>  
> 
> _Dr. Grevex was smiling. “So, secret agent…”_  
>  _“Dolphin. Kenny Dolphin…”_  
>  _“So secret agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin... may I ask a favor of you?”_  
>  _“We have been planning this trip ever since Birlaura heard of the cult of the Sisco - which was actually some time before your Captain Sisco ascended - or whatever the bajorans think he did...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is an old riff on Bond. James Bond. Douglas Adams used it. Monty Python used it - I'm not sure who was first. It's still a good gag...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 2 - Secret Agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin

9.2  
Secret Agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin

            Dr. Kenny Dolphin was out of uniform. For his journey to Pilgrim’s Landing on the Colony of New Hope, he had chosen the civilian style of clothing he had worn while teaching at Harvard University 15 years previously. The patterns for these garments had long been stored in his personnel file and were readjusted to his current measurements – he was actually somewhat leaner in his 50’s than he had been in his 30’s. He had chosen an old fashioned dark gray 3-piece suit with a burgundy shirt. And highly polished red-wing shoes much like those worn by Investigator Shran - only replicator made.  
            The bolian pilot who transported him in one of the Vyvya’s double-size shuttles had remarked on his choice of colors, but it was only polite banter. Bolians tended to prefer color combinations that were so far into the blue spectrum that they could not be appreciated by the human eye and just appeared to be subtle variations of black. But then Kenny’s shirt might have appeared the same to his pilot.  
            The shuttle had docked with a bolian freighter, on which he had booked passage to the Deep Space 9 station near Bajor. Dolphin joined a large number of denobulan doctors in the passenger lounge. Denobulans were almost as gregarious as bolians and it took seconds for the doctors seated near him to ferret out that Dolphin was coming from where they were going to.

            “You don’t look much like a Star Fleet lieutenant.” The smiling, blonde-haired denobulan woman was lounging next to Dolphin with two of her husbands nearby, along with another of their wives.   
            “I’m undercover,” Dolphin teased.  
            “Ooh - secret agent… how intriguing.” Birlaura’s hair was several shades lighter than her skin, which was not unusual with denobulans - one of her husbands, Dr. Trism Grevex, had even lighter hair - almost white and even darker skin - almost black.  
            Dr. Grevex was smiling. “So, secret agent…”  
            “Dolphin. Kenny Dolphin…”  
            “So secret agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin, it appears that you are about to inherit at least part of the anniversary celebration tour that Birlaura and I had been planning – at least for the 16 days it will take to travel from here to Deep Space 9.”  
            “And Phlesc and me,” added Velesa, the other denobulan female seated nearby. “Since Birlaura is not a medical doctor, she cannot join us on this mission. The bolians needed non-bolian doctors to work in their quarantine bio-labs because of how deadly the Scumuk virus is to bolians. They put out the call and we respond.”  
            Dolphin raised his eyebrows. “How do you know the virus isn’t just as deadly to denobulans?”  
            “We don’t,” answered Dr. Phlesc.  
            “We’re about to find that out,” added Dr. Grevex.  
            “My husbands have such wonderful bedside manner, don’t you think?” asked Birlaura.  
            “Deep Space 9 doesn’t sound like the most romantic getaway for an anniversary celebration,” Dolphin observed.  
            “Oh, our celebration was to be on Bajor,” Birlaura rejoined. “I’m a cultural anthropologist. I’m very much looking forward to studying the cult of the Sisco. You Star Fleet officers lead such extraordinary lives.”

            At that moment a series of tones sounded in the passenger’s lounge, then an announcement: “The shuttle for the Paleonus system will be leaving in 15 minutes. Passengers departing for the Paleonus system should begin boarding now.”

            “Well, that’s our cue,” said Dr. Grevex. He slapped his knees, then stood up. Kenny Dolphin stood up along with the other denobulans. Grevex approached Dolphin, put his hands on Dolphin’s shoulders, and brought his face very close.  
            Dolphin deliberately calmed himself and remained very calm as Dr. Grevex leaned in and sniffed his ears and his neck. Grevex turned toward his wives and his co-husband. “I like the smell of this man.” He turned back toward Dolphin. “Secret agent Dolphin Kenny Dolphin, may I ask a favor of you?”  
            “You may ask…” Dolphin said, feeling more than a little wary.  
            “We have been planning this trip ever since Birlaura heard of the cult of the Sisco - which was actually some time before your Captain Sisco ascended - or whatever the bajorans think he did.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially in Dolphin’s ear. “I was planning to spoil Birlaura along the way. She loves having her toenails and fingernails trimmed and cared for. I was planning to do that daily. Would you do this small favor for us?”  
            “That’s rather, um, intimate, isn’t it?” asked Dolphin.  
            “She likes your scent. So do I. It will be fine. You should easily be able to find a tutorial. You’ll want to get denobulan nail care right the first time…”  
            “I, um…”  
            “Thank you so much, Dolphin Kenny Dolphin. This is where we part ways. My second wife, our co-husband and I are off to risk our lives to clean up your mess.”  
            Dr. Grevex swept out with a merry smile. Dr. Velesa and Dr. Phlesc stopped briefly to sniff Dolphin’s ears and neck, Velesa on his left and Phlesc on his right; they nodded approvingly.   
            Dolphin found himself spinning slowly around to watch them leave, then turned around again as Birlaura put her hand on his shoulder. She offered him a glass. “Hartwine?”

9.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Birlaura Grevex (Birlaura)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Denobulan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Trenzkah, Denobula  
> Introduced: Episode 9.2  
> Age when introduced: 211  
> Role: Cultural Anthropologist
> 
> Character: Dr. Trism Grevex (Trism)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Denobulan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Trenzkah, Denobula  
> Introduced: Episode 9.2  
> Age when introduced: 186  
> Role: Epidemiologist
> 
> Character: Dr. Phlesc (Phlesc)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Denobulan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Russ Cavern, Denobula  
> Introduced: Episode 9.2  
> Age when introduced: 260  
> Role: Surgeon
> 
> Character: Dr. Velesa (Velesa)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Denobulan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Glittering Cavern, Cun Ling  
> Introduced: Episode 9.2  
> Age when introduced: 36  
> Role: Surgeon


	94. Episode 9.3 - The Library: Patient Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Justice Irons and Dr. Tali Shae advise Commissioner Qotor to remove Dr. Boles from Paleonus V into one of their quarantine labs.
> 
> Dr. Boles has demands in return for his participation in helping to solve the virus.
> 
>  _Dr. Phlesc’s head came up and bobbed a bit in surprise. “That is quite a condition, Dr. Boles. I would probably need to assign at least one researcher - probably two - full time just to keep you informed and catch you up with the many simultaneous, multi-disciplinary efforts to break the Weapon BCBs0 virus.”_  
>  _“Then those personnel are part of the team you require for this effort..."_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Napoleon Boles is a very fun character to write. Such a cantankerous troublemaker...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 3 - Patient Zero

9.3  
Patient Zero

            “Commissioner, we have reason to believe that Dr. Boles is Patient Zero.” Justice Minerva Irons was in her office with Dr. Tali Shae. “It is our recommendation that you remove him from Paleonus V to the quarantine unit you left in the Paleonus system.”

            Dr. Gyna Vadaro was also in the Commissioner’s office on the Vyvya. “Do you know whether he was a voluntary participant in all of this - or an innocent victim?”

            Tali Shae answered, her antennae bristling, “We do not know. What I do know is that his living immune system is your best bet to beat that virus. I emphasize ‘living’ because at the moment he is festooned on a planet that sports 15’ long predators who would love nothing better than to eat that living immune system you so badly need.”  
            Irons gently put her hand on Tali’s arm. It took a moment for Tali to calm down.  
            Commissioner Rialina Qotor turned to someone in her office who was off screen. “Contact our Q8 unit in the Paleonus system and get Dr. Boles into quarantine.” Whomever she had just given the order to asked a question which provoked a most un-bolian glare from the Commissioner.   
            Irons turned to Tali. “They’re getting him.”   
             “If you would, please send us the information that supports your determination about Dr. Boles,” Commissioner Qotor said.   
            “I will have my director of ground operations forward the information and his investigations coordinator will provide a briefing with the relevant files organized for you,” Irons replied.  
            “We have a number of denobulan researchers arriving within the hour,” Commissioner Qotor continued. “I would like for all of them to participate in this briefing.”  
            “It would be useful to organize your researchers by discipline,” said Irons. “I will also have my director of engineering present a seminar on what we have learned about the computer borne properties of this virus. Dr. Tali Shae will host a panel on the biological transmission aspects of the virus.”

\- * -

            Dr. Napoleon Boles quite liked the house that the Vyvya’s crew had replicated for him on Paleonus V - a planet he now had all to himself, except for herds of giant herbivores, vicious giant carnivores and 14 research stations that had become mausoleums for the bolian researchers who had come to Paleonus V to work in them. Evidently the Vyvya’s crew thought this house would quite possibly become Dr. Boles’ retirement home. Boles secured the building carefully before contacting the Vyvya’s quarantine unit and signaling he was ready for beamout. Maybe, one day, he would return.   
            He touched his communicator, said, “Energize” and watched with some dejection as the well-appointed room that had served as his study for two days vanished in a haze of glowing lights and was replaced by a sterile transporter room. He was only mildly heartened to see that the people operating the transporter, separated from him by a transparent wall, were denobulan, rather than bolian. Denobulans were only slightly less annoying than bolians. For Dr. Boles, being around such relentlessly cheerful people was just exhausting.

            “Welcome, Dr. Boles, welcome. I am Dr. Phlesc,” said one of the denobulans. “You are to be our honored guest, the center of attention…”  
            “And soon to be your pin-cushion,” Boles concluded. Napoleon Boles had an unusually handsome face for a bolian - more of a human face - the bifurcating ridge was muted, his eyes heavy-lidded without being bulbous. And he had a clean jaw line instead of the heavy jowls that were characteristic of bolians. And for some reason, the combination of genetics that had produced that look had also made his skin tone a deep blue instead of the powder blue more common among bolians.  
            “Indeed, Mr. Boles, indeed you will be. We will be removing rather alarming amounts of your blood as well as taking samples of pretty much every tissue your body produces. We will also be cataloguing your unique flora and fauna - the thousands of companion species living in what you call your body that help make you possible. I will do my best to keep the experience from being too painful, however I cannot promise that it will not be profoundly annoying.”  
            “I appreciate your honesty, Dr. Phlesc,” Napoleon Boles responded. “Here are my conditions… You must explain every procedure. If you collect my dead skin cells from a room I no longer inhabit, I want you to tell me about it and what you are doing with them. I want to participate in discussions about the design of tests, the results, the potential implications and if, as is very probable, these discussions exceed my understanding, I want someone to tutor me in the relevant science and bring me up to speed so that I can understand it.”  
            Dr. Phlesc’s head came up and bobbed a bit in surprise. “That is quite a condition, Dr. Boles. I would probably need to assign at least one researcher - probably two - full time just to keep you informed and catch you up with the many simultaneous, multi-disciplinary efforts to break the Weapon BCBs0 virus.”  
            “Then those personnel are part of the team you require for this effort. I have a right to withhold my participation in this effort. At least as long as I am alive, and, as far as I can tell, I am not anywhere close to dying. You want to turn me into a pin cushion, slice out bits of each of my organs, take a pound of flesh, interrogate me? This is the price for my cooperation. I am involved. I am informed. I am part of the team and I know about and understand everything you are doing. The moment I feel I am being coddled - that you are withholding things from me - everything comes to a crashing stop. I will exercise my legal rights to stop every process involving your use of my body and my person. I also want a lawyer - a damn good one - to help me ensure your cooperation.”  
            Dr. Phlesc smiled. “This discussion is really well beyond my authority. I will inform the bolians about your demands.”  
            “And you will advocate for my demands,” Napoleon said, pointing at Phlesc for emphasis. “You will do it because you know it is the right thing to do. You will do it because it is good science and it improves your chances of breaking this virus quickly. You will do it because if you do not, I can and will make this entire process exceptionally difficult for you and everyone else involved.”  
            Dr. Phlesc smiled even wider - far more widely than humanly possible - creating a disturbing effect. “I will do it because you intrigue me, Dr. Boles. And because you are right. It is good science.”

9.3


	95. Episode 9.4 - The Library: Section 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Justice Minerva Irons receives orders from Section 31... and reunites with an old friend...
> 
>  _"...Over the years he has consistently sent his handwritten notes to be archived at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II... The admiral changed his cypher about 8 months ago... The admiral’s work must not fall into the wrong hands..."_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I rarely use the original characters created by Paramount. Just occasional cameos, although others are critical to the plot behind the scenes...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 4 - Section 31

9.4  
Section 31

            With all the senior officers in endless briefings about the virus and the medical, engineering and ground operations departments pulling double shifts grappling with the organic and computer-borne aspects of the virus as well as its conspiratorial criminal origin, Ensign Ethan Phillips was the ranking officer available to stand watch on the bridge. The captain’s chair was not his favorite place, but he had sat in it often enough.   
            Since the Atul Goel had been destroyed, the Vyvya, Malinia and the Hunter were returning to the Paleonus system. Another ship approached at high warp, then matched speeds with the small group of ships traveling at warp 5.

            Navigator Johanna Imex was at the tactical station behind the captain’s chair. “We’re being hailed, sir.”  
            “Put them through, Johanna,” Phillips said.  
            The face that appeared on the screen was well known throughout Star Fleet. “Hunter, this is the U.S.S. Enterprise, Will Riker commanding. We have a request for Justice Irons to come on board.”  
            “Enterprise, this is the U.S.S. Hunter, Ethan Phillips commanding. Please standby…”  
            Riker pointedly drummed his fingers on the arm of the captain’s chair on the bridge of the Enterprise.  
            Ensign Phillips turned around and whispered sharply to Navigator Imex, “Get her before he starts whistling…”  
            At that moment, Riker started whistling tunelessly.  
            “She’s on the pad,” Imex said.  
            Phillips rolled his eyes and said, “Too late…” then turned back to the screen. “She is on the pad awaiting transport, sir.”  
            “Thank you,” Riker said with a look of mingled exasperation and boredom, and promptly ended transmission.

            On the bridge of the Enterprise, the moment he cut transmission, Will Riker leapt out of the captain’s chair, said, “You have the con,” to no one in particular, and sprinted off the bridge. This left two second lieutenants as the senior officers on the bridge of the Enterprise. Not sure which of them had actually been assigned command, they looked at each other, shrugged, and commenced playing “phaser, deflector, commerce” (a 25th Century derivative of “rock, paper, scissors.”) One lieutenant put his hand forward, palm down, fingers forward in imitation of a phaser rifle. The other put her hand up, fingers splayed. “Deflector blocks phaser,” she said, and took the chair.  
            By the time he reached the transporter room, Riker had slowed considerably. At 50 he was still spry enough to leap out of chairs and sprint - but for every such action there was always a consequence and the aches came sooner these days. He managed to smooth a slight limp out of his gait and steady his breathing before striding confidently into the transporter room just as Justice Irons was materializing on the pad.  
            “Welcome to the Enterprise, your honor,” Riker said with his customary suave warmth.  
            “Oh Will, you can call me Minerva,” Irons said.  
            “I wouldn’t want to presume…”  
            Irons briskly stepped up to Riker, took his bearded jaw in her hand and inspected his face as though he were a specimen in a jar. “What are you? And what have you done with Will Riker?”  
            Riker laughed easily as she released him. He stepped to the door. “If you’ll follow me, please…”  
            “And you don’t have to suck that gut in,” Irons continued as they exited the transporter room, rapping his belly lightly with the back of her hand.  
            Riker held his breath and squeaked, “Who, me? I would never…” then exhaled loudly, sucked in a deep breath and held it again, earning an easy laugh from Irons.  
            “So which one is this?”  
            “Your honor?"  
            “Minerva.”  
            “Minerva?”  
            “Which Enterprise?”  
            “NCC 1701 F. I’ve only crashed two of them…”  
            “Well, there’s still time,” Irons observed. “But now I can say I have walked on the decks of every lettered 1701. The A was a museum. I trained on the B and served on the C, briefly.”  
            Riker stopped. “It’s been 38 years,” he said, “and you haven’t aged a moment. Thank you for reminding me that you’re immortal.”  
            Irons put her hand on Riker’s chest. “Will, you are more beautiful today than you were 38 years ago. The man has grown into the looks."  
            Riker broke into one of his 10,000 watt smiles, lighting up the entire hallway.  
            “I take it this is the door?” Irons asked.  
            “I don’t even know who is on the other side,” Riker responded, his expression becoming serious.  
            Irons removed her hand from Riker’s chest. “Old times,” she said, then took a breath. “I suppose I’d better find out. I will find you before I disembark.”  
            “Do that,” Riker said, flashed another smile, then turned and left.

            Justice Irons waited until Riker had turned the corner, leaving her alone in the hallway, then touched the door chime.

            The door opened. The stateroom was dark. A shadowy, hooded figure lurked inside. Irons entered the room. When the door closed, a personal deflector shield was activated, insulating most of the room.   
            “Justice Irons.” the voice was electronically modulated. Even without attempting to use her very limited telepathic abilities, Irons could feel a cold well, as though the individual in the back of the room were a blank place in thought space that telepathy could not locate.  
            “This message comes from the mouth. Hear. Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s notes have been located. He kept all his notes by his own calligraphy, in his own personally developed cyphers and never entered them into any computer. Over the years he has consistently sent his handwritten notes to be archived at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II. All of his notes are cyphered. Those cyphers are known to his archivists - all except for the most recent. The admiral changed his cypher about 8 months ago. You have, on your crew, two experts in vulcan cyphers. The admiral’s work must not fall into the wrong hands. No copies may be made of his original writings, nor may they be transmitted in any way. Paper, viewed by eyes only. The admiral made a pivotal discovery. This discovery must be followed back to its source and its potential impact on the security of the Federation evaluated. Action may be needed. Let no boundaries stand in your way. This message comes from the mouth. You are the hand.”  
            The deflector screen came down. The shadowy figure was no longer in the room. Without a word, Justice Irons turned and exited. As she wandered the halls of the Enterprise more or less aimlessly, she mulled over what she had heard. “From the mouth” - a Section 31 code phrase used to verify that an order was being passed from the top of the organization.

            The Federation Charter had 30 sections. Putatively, a secret 31st section had been written directly into the Federation Charter, creating a secret organization authorized to use any means necessary to protect and preserve the Federation. Less than half of the very few officers in Star Fleet who had ever heard of Section 31 believed this shadowy organization, or the secret codicil for which it was named, actually existed. Irons was one of only four people who knew who the Director of Section 31 was. She had helped recruit him.

            And now she had just received an order from him.

9.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haracter: Rear Admiral Will Riker (Will)  
> Human Ethnicity: Russian American  
> Additional Species: N/A  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Juno, Alaska, Earth  
> Introduced: Episode 9.4  
> Age when introduced: 50  
> Role: Director, Star Fleet Deep Space Exploration


	96. Episode 9.5 - The Library: Representing Dr. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Tali Shae is given an assignment. While it is an annoying assignment, she is really more concerned that it takes her away from Mlady...
> 
>  _“They’re not blood thinners, they’re supplemental…”_  
>  _“Tali, I’m not a doctor. They keep your blood from turning into goo, which it will if you don’t have Mlady regularly feeding on you and adjusting your enzymes. We went over this two years ago when you started this thing with her. It’s a lifelong commitment and I can’t keep the two of you together at all times...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is a short segment. I thought about combining it with the following segment, but that just got too busy. There is actually quite a lot of detail in this one and the next one has a lot of character development. Putting them together made them kind of step all over each other.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 5 - Representing Dr. Blue

9.5  
Representing Dr. Blue

            “Tali, your post of service is the Paleonus system until we return.” Irons really did not like warping into increasing danger without her director of flight operations and now she was going to do so without her medical director as well.  But there was really no one else for this job.

            Tali Shae fought down the temptation to beg off this assignment - hand holding for a cantankerous Star Fleet lieutenant who should have volunteered himself out of duty alone without an enormous list of conditions. But the truth was that she was worried about Lt. Commander Mlady.

            “I would feel so much more comfortable about this if she had at least one other person to take care of her,” Tali Shae managed, then sighed. “You’re right, of course, I’m needed here to keep Mr. Blue in line.”  
            “You are needed to represent his interests, Tali. Mlady will be just fine. She lived with only David to feed her for nearly 20 years. Feed her well before you disembark and be sure to take your blood thinners with you.”  
            “They’re not blood thinners, they’re supplemental…”  
            “Tali, I’m not a doctor. They keep your blood from turning into goo, which it will if you don’t have Mlady regularly feeding on you and adjusting your enzymes. We went over this two years ago when you started this thing with her. It’s a lifelong commitment and I can’t keep the two of you together at all times.”  
            “I know. I know. I’ll take my drugs. I ought to. I invented them. And I’ll keep Dr. Blue from turning red and throwing a fit.”  
            “Do that Tali. I have a library to raid.”

 

9.5


	97. Episode 9.6 - The Library: Doctor, Lawyer, Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Tali Shae is aboard one of the Vyvya's quarantine units, getting to know her new patient, client and subordinate, Lieutenant Napoleon Boles...
> 
>  _“I had a bolian clerk while I was on the Federation Council. They have a way of making everyone feel special. Just extremely courteous. But they don’t seem to like you very much.”_  
>  _“So you noticed that, did you?” Boles leaned back in his chair, then sat up and took a drink._  
>  _“Care to tell me why?” Tali asked._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Some of this might be disturbing reading. The details of Napoleons' past are rather tragic even though he seems fairly straightforward about them.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 6 - Doctor, Lawyer, Boss

9.6  
Doctor, Lawyer, Boss

            Dr. Tali Shae was given a tour of the quarantine facility before being ushered into a bifurcated conference room to meet with her client and charge. The conference room was a microcosm of the entire facility. There were private areas (monitored by cameras) for quarantined individuals and private workspaces and living quarters for researchers as well, but the majority of the living, working and laboratory spaces in the unit were like this conference room - spaces where the researchers and quarantined patients could interact, separated by a transparent wall.

             “So, my commanding officer, my doctor and my lawyer,” said Dr. Napoleon Boles.  
            Dr. Boles and Dr. Tali Shae were seated at a conference table on opposite sides of the transparent bifurcating wall that divided the room - and the table - in half.  
            “You are a doctor and a lawyer as well,” observed Tali Shae.  
            “My doctoring has been limited to cows, groxes and other large herbivores. And for all that, I’m a biologist, not a large-animal veterinarian - although on many occasions I was the next best thing. But I am not an idiot,” Boles rejoined.  
            “Any lawyer who represents himself…” Tali Shae started.  
            “Has an idiot for a client,” Boles concluded. “I understand you were a judge once.”  
            “In the Andorian Imperial Guard, after serving as a forensic expert. I got fed up with judges asking stupid questions, not understanding expert witness testimony. Decided to try it for myself. How did you find out about that?”  
            “I had a chance to talk to some of the survivors of the Atul Goel and mentioned that you were my new C.O. One of them got it from one of the survivors of the P5 research stations. They also said you served on the Federation Council.”  
            “After I retired from Star Fleet the first time, I went home. I was a little fed up with some of the directives we had been getting from the council. So I got myself appointed to it. So tell me, Lieutenant, what are your concerns about this research that provoked you to ask for resident counsel?”  
            Napoleon Boles reached back with his left hand and massaged his own neck, grimaced. “Put yourself in my position, Lieutenant Commander,” he said. “These people are staring down a virus that could exterminate their species. If their research tells them that removing my liver and using it as a machine to generate antibodies is the last, best hope for their civilization, don’t you think they might seriously consider it? They’re going to be taking pieces of every one of my organs. I won’t be conscious for all of those procedures. I need someone who knows when to tell them to stop and has the authority and the grit to make them stop.”  
            “A week ago I would have said, ‘these are bolians - they wouldn’t do that’. But I hadn’t met Commissioner Qotor yet. These people are pretty serious,” Tali Shae said.  
            “And I would have told you not to be fooled by the bolian public image machine,” Boles concluded. “There is a lot more to these people than meets the eye.”  
            “I had a bolian clerk while I was on the Federation Council. They have a way of making everyone feel special. Just extremely courteous. But they don’t seem to like you very much.”  
            “So you noticed that, did you?” Boles leaned back in his chair, then sat up and took a drink.  
            “Care to tell me why?” Tali asked.  
            Boles made a gesture that was something between a shrug and a cough, opened his mouth, took a breath as if to speak, then exhaled and looked down. He looked up again. “You must be from an aristocratic family. Forensic medicine in the Imperial Guard? From that to military justice? An appointment to the Federation Council? You have to be the daughter of someone important. Or else you would have been standing on the front line with a phaser rifle just like everyone else.”  
            “That’s where I wanted to be. But you’re right – my family had me assigned to cataloguing corpses to make sure I didn’t become one prematurely.”  
            “In spite of their carefully crafted public image, bolians are much the same. Officially a meritocracy, but that just became camouflage for aristocracy long ago. And the Boles family – wow are we important. My father, he was the crown prince of important. If he hadn’t been a rapacious, murderous sociopath, he would probably be running everything from behind the scenes right now.”  
            “So they painted you with the sins of your father?”  
            “Oh no. Worse. I’m not even supposed to exist. My mother nearly died in childbirth.”  
            “I was curious about that. Bolian physiology is so different from – well – everyone else. Extremely acidic. I don’t even understand how it was possible for your mother to survive being impregnated.”  
            “She very nearly didn’t. None of my father’s other human victims did. He had himself surgically altered to be more compatible with humans, but he was still poison to them. My mother was crippled by it. I ended up taking care of her. By the time I was seven, she was paralyzed. She didn’t live much longer. I have two half denobulan half-sisters as well. Their mother fared better – she eventually recovered from the rape. Two of her husbands hunted my father down and killed him. I was with him at the time – I was ten. I’m lucky they didn’t kill me. One of them wanted to. They argued about it for hours.”  
             “That would explain Commissioner Qotor’s cryptic warning about your ‘very troubled’ past. Unless there’s something else?”  
            “Not much really. I’ve been in a fight or two... They didn’t know what to do with me, so they sent me to New Hope. I’ve kind of bounced around since then. Worked on ranches wrangling livestock, if you can believe that. Hard work, but there’s never any shortage of it.”  
            “You like those animals down there on P5 better than you like other people, don’t you?”  
             “I’ve been designing a saddle for the Orunrunners. I’ve broken horses and camels. I think I could saddle-break an Orunrunner. I never thought a hexapod could possibly be faster than a quadruped. But you should see those Orunrunners go…”  
            “Don’t you think that saddle-breaking a protected species on a reserve planet would get you into a lot of trouble?”   
            Boles looked furtively to his left, then to his right, then leaned in conspiratorially and said quietly, “Don’t tell anyone and I’ll break one for you, too...”  
            Tali Shae looked furtively to her left, then her right, then leaned in and said, “You’re on…”  
            Boles leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Well, the design is still just in my head, but if they had left me stranded down there, I’m pretty sure I would have been riding one in a month or two…”

9.6


	98. Episode 9.7 - The Library: The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter travels to Cophus II to visit the vulcan library at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds. And discover far more than Admiral Scumuk's notes...
> 
>  _With their beaks open, but not moving, several of the birds made oddly familiar sounds, to which their vulcan companions replied. 2nd Lt. T’Lon turned to Tomos in genuine surprise. “They’re speaking Vulcan!”_  
>  _Tomos nodded as if this were nothing unusual. “The waterbirds are very intelligent. They learn our spoken language at an early age and are usually conversant by the time they are three years old. They live for upward of 100 years and grow more intelligent with age. This sanctuary is a joint project between vulcans and the waterbirds...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I mentioned way back in Episode 4 that Flight Engineer Tomos had spent most of his life as a librarian at a distant vulcan sanctuary. This is the place, so it's a bit of a homecoming for Tomos.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 7 - The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds

9.7  
The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds

            Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth was piloting the wagon through the highly magnetized and ionized atmosphere of Cophus II. The magnetosphere of the planet was too strong and active for safe use of the transporters. Piloting a shuttle through the shifting layers of magnetic force was treacherous and could only be done manually, using visual flight rules. The magnetosphere played havoc with the instruments. This was the kind of flying that Guth lived for. A control stick, his eyes and his gut. The inertial dampeners reduced so he could feel the wind. The entire ground operations team was strapped in on the wagon, along with Dr. Moon Sun Salek and Flight Engineer Tomos. With a dozen people in the already heavily armed and armored shuttle, the craft was very heavy and unwieldy.  
            Guth used the wagon’s power to compensate, which the shuttle had plenty of. Instead of trying to dance through the massive gusts of ionized air and raw magnetic force, he used the wagon’s weight and power to crush through them. This made for an exceptionally rough ride at a high rate of speed. The craft was built to take it. The equilibriums of its passengers – not so much. By the time they reached the opening of the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds, half the ground operations crew had lost their lunch, along with Dr. Moon. Even Lt. T’Lon, the tough, young vulcan, appeared much more green than usual. Only Investigator Shran seemed unperturbed by all the turbulence – although his antennae were twitching wildly.

            The Sanctuary of the Waterbirds was approachable from only one direction; it was a cave entrance masked by a massive waterfall. Guth’s instruments could not tell him exactly where the entrance was and hovering was impossible with all the wind tearing through the area. But the gusts also affected the waterfall, occasionally peeling sheets of falling water away from the cliff face to reveal the cave entrance.   
            Guth flew by four times, memorizing the location of the cave opening – not much larger than the portal for the Hunter’s shuttle bay. On the fifth pass he dove straight into the opening at high speed – straight through the waterfall, bringing the wagon to a sudden halt just inside the cave and throwing his passengers hard against their seat restraints. He had warned them about this effect before leaving the Hunter’s shuttlebay, so he expected them to be braced for it. A few hundred yards further into the cave was the landing pad. This part of the journey had to be flown at a crawl to give the many birds flocking about inside the well-lit cavern time to maneuver around the wagon.  
            “Beat that, Kenny Dolphin,” Guth thought triumphantly to himself as he touched down lightly and felt the landing gear flex under the craft.

            Lynhart Shran popped off his seat restraints, stood up quickly and loped over to Guth, patted him on the shoulder. “Damn fine flying, kid!” There was genuine enthusiasm in the old investigator’s gravelly voice. “That was fun! Let’s do it again!” Shran squeezed Guth’s right shoulder, which turned out to be just the stimulus Guth needed to peel his fingers off the control stick.  
            None of the wagon’s other passengers shared Shran’s enthusiasm about the flight. It was several minutes before they stood up and made their way to the back of the shuttle to disembark, there to be greeted by a small committee of vulcan librarians.

            “Curator Tomos,” said one of these, recognizing the junior engineer as he stepped off the aft ramp of the wagon. “I hope your flight was not too eventful.”  
            “It was not so much like a bird floating on the wind. More like riding a meteor,” Tomos said. “We seek Curator Hannung.”  
            “I will lead you to her.”  
             While the ground operations department and the two engineers followed their host deeper into the cavern, Chief Guth remained behind to ready the wagon for its return journey.

            Great fissures allowed bright shafts of sunlight into the cavern and dozens of sparkling waterfalls from high above created hazy rainbows in the mist and filled well-tended basins below in which the local birds fished. A series of rope ladders and staircases hewn into rock led to various ledge gardens, worked by vulcans to provide food, medicines and other plant-based resources for the small colony.  
            In contrast with the great number of smaller birds, the giant waterbirds for which the sanctuary was named were massive and powerful. These were the only birds strong enough to ride the winds of the canyon outside. Some had beaks nearly 4’ long, wingspans in excess of 30’ and they towered over their vulcan caretakers, for whom they seemed to demonstrate surprising affection – which was rewarded with grooming and care for the wounds they endured from flight in such stressful conditions.  
           As the expedition from the Hunter walked further into the cavern, a formation of nearly a dozen waterbirds drifted down from the fissures above, in and out of the waterfalls, bringing enormous fish, a variety of vegetables and firewood, which they then helped the vulcans to carry to cooking fires. With their beaks open, but not moving, several of the birds made oddly familiar sounds, to which their vulcan companions replied. 2nd Lt. T’Lon turned to Tomos in genuine surprise. “They’re speaking Vulcan!”  
            Tomos nodded as if this were nothing unusual. “The waterbirds are very intelligent. They learn our spoken language at an early age and are usually conversant by the time they are three years old. They live for upward of 100 years and grow more intelligent with age. This sanctuary is a joint project between vulcans and the waterbirds.”  
            “Their voices almost sound vulcan, that’s why I didn’t catch it at first,” T’Lon said.  
            “Wait till you hear them singing,” Tomos replied.

9.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Curator Hannung (Hannung)  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Sanctuary of the Waterbirds, Cophus II  
> Introduced: Episode 9.7  
> Age when introduced: 57  
> Role: Librarian


	99. Episode 9.8 - The Library: Fleet Admiral Scumuk's Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The entire Ground Operations Department, led by Director Tauk, is engaged in translating the Admiral's notes. Additionally, Flight Engineer Tomos and Dr. Moon Sun Salek, both experts in vulcan cyphers, are trying to break Fleet Admiral Scumuk's most recent cypher.
> 
>  _The Hunter’s ground operations crew broke into teams to review everything the admiral had sent to Cophus II for storage. The admiral had taken his notes on large squares of loose paper which, when archived, were gathered into hundreds of plastic books, each of which contained 1,000 pages. Each page was preserved in a transparent, rigid plastic sleeve that would not allow the page to bend or flex..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This kind of research/detective work is really challenging to write. But that's what real detective work is more often than not - hitting the books and doing hours of homework...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 8 - Fleet Admiral Scumuk's Notes

9.8  
Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s Notes

            The library was built into fissures more than a three-kilometer walk in from the entrance to the cavern.

            Curator Hannung was considerably younger than Tomos, though not as young as T’Lon. At the entrance to the sanctuary’s library, she welcomed the large research group from the Hunter. Without such a guide, the Hunter’s ground operations department could well have spent weeks seeking Fleet Admiral Scumuk’s notes.   
            Books, loose papers, boxes containing unique electronic reading devices and a dizzying array of recording media, including magnetic tape, optical crystal and technologies that were not immediately recognizable were stored in a dizzying array of containers, designed to protect them from the planet’s magnetosphere, moisture, air and handling. There was no evident organization to the way that these materials were stored. In some areas, there were only high nooks reachable by rope ladders. Other storage areas were low crawlways lined with stored items. The library had dozens of rooms - all following the natural flow of the cavern’s fissures, but reinforced against erosion.   
            After winding through several corridors – and crawling through a few – climbing up narrow, rough-hewn staircases and down rope ladders, the Hunter’s crew were brought to a large study area – a large table hewn out of the rocky floor, surrounded by chairs and a few smaller tables. The admiral’s writings were stored nearby. The Hunter’s ground operations crew broke into teams to review everything the admiral had sent to Cophus II for storage. The admiral had taken his notes on large squares of loose paper which, when archived, were gathered into hundreds of plastic books, each of which contained 1,000 pages. Each page was preserved in a transparent, rigid plastic sleeve that would not allow the page to bend or flex. Each book was identified by a series number (starting with 1) and a date range.

            Ensign Tolon’s tactical team started with Scumuk’s earliest notes, starting with book #1, translating and taking notes using cypher keys in reader pads they had brought with them. T’Lon and the two investigators worked backward from the admiral’s most recent writings for which cypher keys were available.  
            This left the 8 months of the most recent writings for which no cypher key was known - Tomos and Dr. Moon worked with these materials to decipher them. Lt. Tauk, the ranking officer of the group and leader of this expedition, moved from group to group, monitoring progress, pulling common themes together and offering his mathematical expertise as needed.

9.8


	100. Episode 9.9 - The Library: Denobulan Nail Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin learns a lot about denobulan nail care while traveling with Birlaura Grevex... And maybe something about himself...
> 
>  _“Quit playing with my butt…” Dolphin said. He followed that with a high pitched “woo” sound in response to her hand doing something fairly naughty..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Does Kenny change his mind? Yeah - I'm a bit vague on that too...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9 - The Library  
Scene 9 - Denobulan Nail Care

9.9  
Denobulan Nail Care

            Kenny Dolphin found taking care of Birlaura’s fingernails and toenails a delightful chore, if a very involved one. The tutorial for denobulan nail care was well over an hour long and extremely detailed. Keeping her nails trim, healthy, strong and neat took a large number of tools, solvents, lacquers and other chemicals. Denobulan nails grew non-stop and very thick, making them excellent for climbing and extremely dangerous in combat.   
            What made the chore delightful was Birlaura, who was an outrageous flirt, and a brilliant conversationalist. She also rewarded Dolphin’s attentions with superb, expert massages.

            “You know denobulans never thought about having sex with other species,” Birlaura said. “That was a human innovation. My mother remembers when the vulcans discovered humans - she was a little girl.”  
            “That was about 370 years ago,” Dolphin said.  
            “That sounds about right. From all the trouble you caused, everyone thought humans were going to be worse that the klingons. We were worried the vulcans wouldn’t be able to control you. But we also assumed the klingons or the nausicaans or someone else would make short work of you before you became too much of a nuisance. Our galaxy was so small back then. We stayed close to our own star system. We knew only a few spacefaring species. None of them seemed all that cuddly.”  
            Birlaura lightly slapped Kenny’s butt before continuing the back massage. “Then we started hearing stories of humans and vulcans getting it on and we thought, why in this galaxy would anyone want to have sex with a human? Or worse yet a vulcan? Being a reasonably open-minded and curious species, we set out to find answers to those questions. Turns out you humans are a lot of fun in bed when you’re not all uptight about things. Vulcans are even more fun when they’re going through Pon Farr.”

            “Quit playing with my butt…” Dolphin said. He followed that with a high pitched “woo” sound in response to her hand doing something fairly naughty.

            “Oh what is your hang-up, Dolphin Kenny Dolphin?” Birlaura teased. “You’re no longer a married man.”  
            “But you are a married woman…”  
            “I’m still free. I only have two husbands. I haven’t taken my third yet. I’m still young - want to shop around. Have fun. And now that I know who you really are, I would love to have your children - just for the simple irony of it. Imagine - the man who worried so publicly about the impact of hybrid children on humanity having a secret half-denobulan love child… Come to think of it, I’m amazed you haven’t gotten propositions from women of every species - bajorans, klingons, cardassians… nausicaans…” Birlaura laid down on Dolphin’s back, hooked her feet around his, cinching his legs. She placed her hands at the base of his skull and stretched him with gentle, pulsing movements.  
            “There have only been three women in my life,” Dolphin said, between gentle grunting sounds as his back stretched slightly. “Only one of them was human.”  
            “Any denobulans?”  
            “Well, that’s complicated. Apparently I had an affair with a woman who was half vulcan, half betazoid, but had herself surgically altered to appear denobulan. I don’t remember much about it. She used telepathy to remove herself from my conscious memory. I only have a few flashes. She turned out to be a serial killer. Very nearly killed me.”  
            “That is complicated. And the vulcan girl you told me about yesterday - Pon Farr?”  
            “Her first time going through it.”  
            Birlaura lay on Dolphin’s back, stroked his hair. “Alas, my poor, starcrossed Dolphin Kenny Dolphin, when are you ever going to learn to let go and just live for yourself?”

9.9


	101. Episode 9.10 - The Library: A Sample of Mlady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The research team from the U.S.S. Hunter find a vital clue to the bolian virus in the library at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II. And the clue points back to... Lt. Cmdr. Mlady?
> 
>  _“The changes were made on 8p21 and several locations on 14 and a few on 16. Even with the differences between bolian and human physiology, those locations serve very much the same purpose - according to Scumuk. The locations used from Dr. Mlady’s genome were very different. We have the details. Given a sample, we should be able to replicate a genetic treatment that should give infected persons the ability to kill the BCBs0 virus in their system,” Tolon said._  
>  _“How large a sample?” asked Mlady._  
>  _“Microscopic,” Tolon responded..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Of course Fleet Admiral Scumuk, as the Director of Star Fleet Medical, would be one of very few people to have access to Mlady's genetic code - one of the most carefully kept secrets in the federation...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9: The Library  
Scene 10: A Sample of Mlady

9.10  
A Sample of Mlady

             “Lieutenant Commander Mlady is the key. From what we have been able to decipher, Dr. LaDonna Chin, under direction from Dr. Scumuk, made some adjustments to Napoleon Boles’ genome. The admiral went so far as to note he instructed Dr. Chin to tell Boles that he needed standard chromosomal adjustment due to compatibility issues between his bolian and human heritage. The actual adjustment was borrowed from Mlady’s genetic record - which the admiral was one of only 17 people to have access to.” Ensign Tolon Reeves was in the sanctuary’s communication center.  
           The communication array at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds had a tremendous amount of power, which was needed to punch a clear signal through the extremely active magnetosphere of Cophus II. Lt. T’Lon, Ensign Tolon and Lt. Moon Sun Salek were in conversation with Lt. Commander Mlady, Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder and Dr. Chrissiana Trei.

             “The changes were made on 8p21 and several locations on 14 and a few on 16. Even with the differences between bolian and human physiology, those locations serve very much the same purpose - according to Scumuk. The locations used from Dr. Mlady’s genome were very different. We have the details. Given a sample, we should be able to replicate a genetic treatment that should give infected persons the ability to kill the BCBs0 virus in their system,” Tolon said.  
           “How large a sample?” asked Mlady.  
           “Microscopic,” Tolon responded. “Dr. Scumuk synthesized it from the genomic study you included in your dissertation. Which took him a very long time and several failed attempts. We can move much faster working from the…” Tolon paused awkwardly, “…the original, if you will. Of course we need to verify - one point of verification is whether the BCBs0 found in Dr. Boles’ bloodstream is dead or still viable.”  
           “There is a complication,” Mlady said. It was not a question - it was clear from the expressions on both Dr. Tolon and Dr. Moon.  
           Dr. Moon spoke up. “What makes BCBs0 so resilient is the computer borne aspect. The biological virus may be dead, but even with it dead, it still contains the computer borne version encoded in its RNA. Dr. Boles could be clear - all the virus in his system dead - unable to infect anyone by contact or breath. He steps through a transporter and the computer will read the code on the RNA of the dead virus, become infected and start replicating living, airborne BCBs0.”  
           “What are the chances of reinfection?” asked Dr. Jazz.  
           “Zero, or next to it,” said Dr. Tolon. “Once the body has the key, BCBs0 gets turned off on contact. But the admiral’s notes do not say anything about how to disable the computer borne aspect of BCBs0. Or if they do, we have not found it yet. And we have completed deciphering the most recent notes.”  
           “What are the chances you will yet come across that information?” Mlady asked.  
           T’Lon answered. “Lieutenant Tauk considers it extremely unlikely. However he believes there is something far more important in the admiral’s notes. We are about two days away from completing the review he asked for.”

           “Why are you telling me this? Why isn’t he on this call?”

           “This communication center is located at a very high altitude. Lieutenant Tauk couldn’t make the climb and even if he could, the atmosphere is very thin up here. He has not been having an easy time with the atmosphere in the sanctuary,” T’Lon replied.  
           Dr. Jazz picked up a pad, started making entries. “Lieutenant, I want you to return to the wagon and retrieve one of the emergency breather units. I am sending you a program that will alter the mix it generates to give Tauk a better breathing environment. Make sure he uses the breather - it should make him feel better and help him stand up to the return journey. The sooner he leaves that environment, the better.”  
           “Is Tauk still working on the admiral’s notes?” Mlady asked.  
           “He was when I left him,” T’Lon answered.  
           “Two days,” Mlady said. “Then you are ordered to bring him back. If he gets worse in spite of the breather unit, bring him back immediately - the entire team - we are not risking a second trip through that atmosphere given the telemetry I reviewed. Dr. Tolon, I want you to remain on this channel. Work with Dr. Jazz to design the treatment for the survivors of Paleonus V and the Atul Goel. Dr. Jazz, let me know exactly what you need a sample of and I will provide it. Dr. Moon - I want you to standby to work with Dr. Carrera to disable the computer-borne aspect of the BCBs0 virus. I will have him contact you within the hour.”

9.10


	102. Episode 9.11 - The Library: Destim Ski

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Chief Guth (rhymes with "booth") meets Destim Ski (pronounced "sky") and Maa (sounds like a sheep going baa...)
> 
>  _Destim Ski made an odd clucking sound, then slowly and carefully backed out of the wagon. It took a several minutes for the giant waterbird to free himself from the shuttle. Maa simply laid on the floor of the shuttle where she was until the giant bird had shrugged its body free of the wagon. Guth looked at her quizzically._  
>  _“He was laughing, Mr. Guth,” she said._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Destim Ski will return not in person, but in virtual form in Episode 13: The 15,000 Cities of Cun Ling.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9: The Library  
Scene 11: Destim Ski

9.11  
Destim Ski

             “So what would I ask a giant bird?” Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth mused to himself. He was seated in a lounge chair near the wagon and one of the waterbirds had come over to inspect the craft. One of the vulcan caretakers had noticed the creature’s interest and joined them. Guth remained seated, watching the enormous animal walking with its feet and what appeared to be its elbows, its wings folded.   
             The bird started speaking with a deep, fluid voice that sounded almost like a vulcan – if a little too deep and resonant. The giant beak was open slightly but barely moved – the bird was producing this speech somewhere deep in its throat. “Destim Ski has never seen a shuttle this large and was remarking on your flight. He said he thought you were flying a rock at first,” the vulcan caretaker told him.  
             “The wagon was made to stand up to harsh conditions. What it lacks in grace, it makes up for in structural integrity and power.” Guth smiled as he heard his words translated into the vulcan language for the benefit of a giant bird. It was a rather terrifying creature to be so close to - that beak could easily snap him in half and he had seen these birds carrying fish more than twice his size secured firmly in their talons. Those talons could easily skewer a man. But Guth had watched these birds over the past few days and was surprised at how gentle and affectionate they were with their vulcan caretakers.  
             “Destim Ski would like to know if there is enough room for him to enter the craft,” the vulcan caretaker said.  
             “I don’t know your name,” Guth said.  
             “I am Maa,” she responded.  
             “Dewayne Guth. There is only one way to find out,” Guth said. He walked around to the back of the wagon and said, “Open.”

             The bird named Destim Ski followed him, then stepped carefully out of the way as the aft portal opened, revealing the interior of the craft. Guth stepped on board. Destim was able to squeeze into the rear staging area of the craft, then craned his neck into the space between the brig units so that he could look into the flight operation booth.   
             Maa managed to crowd into the back of the shuttle and crawl under Destim Ski’s wing. As the bird spoke fluently, she translated. “I cannot imagine flying in a machine - not feeling the wind under my wings.”  
             “Oh, I can definitely feel the wind - at least when I reduce the inertial dampeners. We really felt it on the way down.”  
             Destim Ski made an odd clucking sound, then slowly and carefully backed out of the wagon. It took a several minutes for the giant waterbird to free himself from the shuttle. Maa simply laid on the floor of the shuttle where she was until the giant bird had shrugged its body free of the wagon. Guth looked at her quizzically.  
             “He was laughing, Mr. Guth,” she said.  
             Destim Ski spoke again and Maa translated. “Perhaps someday someone will bring a craft large enough for me to fly in. I would like that. I would like to see what my world looks like from the outside.”  
             Guth smiled as he followed Maa out of the wagon. “Actually, I would love to know what it feels like to fly the way you do. It has to be so free - no machines - just to spread your wings and catch the wind. I don’t think there is any way I could ever feel that.”  
             Maa raised an eyebrow as Destim Ski responded. “Actually, you can to some small extent. Destim Ski is willing to share his memories with you. I can serve as a conduit…”

9.11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Destim Ski  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Giant Waterbird  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Sanctuary of the Waterbirds, Cophus II  
> Introduced: Episode 9.11  
> Age when introduced: 39  
> Role: Community Leader
> 
> Character: Maa  
> Human Ethnicity: N/A  
> Additional Species: Vulcan  
> Hometown/Homeworld: Sanctuary of the Waterbirds, Cophus II  
> Introduced: Episode 9.11  
> Age when introduced: 19  
> Role: Ornithologist


	103. Episode 9.12 - The Library: The Moon/Sun/Kim Upgrades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Kim managed to crack the computer borne aspect of the Weapon BCBs0 virus. Using her codes, Dr. Moon and Dr. Sun develop an upgrade to the transporter system that will help filter out the virus.
> 
>  _“That is the part that I don’t understand,” said Rianila Qotor. “I was told the computer-borne aspect of BCBs0 would take months and probably years to crack. I have heard of Dr. Carrera’s reputation, but he was the one who gave us that estimate.”_  
>  _Tali Shae managed to shrug with both her shoulders and her antennae. “I have never encountered anyone like him. But he wasn’t the one who cracked it. Apparently it was largely Dr. Kim.”_  
>  _“The hologram? I have never heard of a hologram that could operate at that high a level,” said Dr. Vadero..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> One of many payoffs of Kenny Dolphin's rescue of Dr. Kim. It really pays off in Episode 14 - When Death Comes...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9: The Library  
Scene 12: The Moon/Sun/Kim Upgrades

9.12  
The Moon/Sun/Kim Upgrades

           “Dr. Boles’ viral load is now too low to register. We have taken samples from every organ, every tissue, and have run a full genomic screening.” Dr. Phlesc was reporting to Dr. Gyna Vadero and Commissioner Rianila Qotor on the Vyvya. “We can confirm that his genome was significantly altered, and in ways that will become problematic for him over the next few years. We can make the same changes to our infected survivors and their systems should respond by killing the BCBs0 in their systems.”  
             “But can Dr. Boles be safely transported?” Vadero asked.  
             “That will be the test,” said Dr. Tali Shae, standing next to Dr. Phlesc on the quarantine unit. “We have made the Moon/Sun/Kim upgrades to the transporter system. If this works properly, the transporter should recognize any programming written into a genetic sequence or other biological material, disable it during transport, and in the specific case of BCBs0, remove it entirely. Dr. Carrera has reported that Dr. Kim, one of our holographic doctors who was infected with the computer-borne aspect of the virus, has now been cleared of the BCBs0 code.”  
             “That is the part that I don’t understand,” said Rianila Qotor. “I was told the computer-borne aspect of BCBs0 would take months and probably years to crack. I have heard of Dr. Carrera’s reputation, but he was the one who gave us that estimate.”  
             Tali Shae managed to shrug with both her shoulders and her antennae. “I have never encountered anyone like him. But he wasn’t the one who cracked it. Apparently it was largely Dr. Kim.”  
             “The hologram? I have never heard of a hologram that could operate at that high a level,” said Dr. Vadero.  
             “Dr. Moon and Dr. Sun created an artificial environment for her and gave her an enormous amount of processing speed. Apparently it took her 37 years of concerted effort to crack the virus. Which she experienced over the period of about 18 hours,” Tali responded. “From what I am told, she has altered her appearance to appear older and has developed so much personally that additional resources are being added to her environment. She now has an additional specialty in computer engineering and they are planning to increase her response profile to make use of these new abilities.”  
             “How soon can you test the transporter upgrades - and will that run any risk of infecting the protected areas of the quarantine unit?” asked Commissioner Qotor.  
             “At the moment, the isolation transport unit is restricted to its own pad system inside the isolation area. We will beam Dr. Boles from one pad to another within the isolation area, then shut down the pads with a physical cutoff and run a diagnostic on the isolation transporter system. Dr. Boles is installing the physical cutoff systems on the isolation pads now,” Dr. Phlesc answered. “We should be ready to test within the hour.”  
             “Dr. Vadero - any concerns?” asked Qotor.  
             “I have a great many concerns regarding BCBs0, but not with this phase of testing.” Vadero answered.  
             “Dr. Shae, Dr. Phlesc - you may test when ready. Thank Dr. Boles for his cooperation with this process.” Commissioner Qotor cut the transmission.  
             “Maybe she should thank Dr. Boles in person?” Dr. Phlesc mused.  
             “What do you estimate the chances of that are?” Tali asked.  
             “I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Phlesc answered.

9.12


	104. Episode 9.13 - The Library: Tauk's Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Ground Operations Director, Lt. Tauk did not react well to the shifting atmosphere of Cophus II...
> 
>  _"There are a lot of references to the Dead Zone in his last entries before he changed to his final cypher," Tauk said. "And something about gamma radiation and some sort of hulk. After he changed his cypher, it was as if someone else had taken over writing his notes. An entirely different personality - clinical - monomaniacal - focused entirely on creating the Weapon BCBs0 virus - which he referred to exclusively as 'my bolian bug'." Tauk had to stop and use the breather for several minutes. It was clear he had much more to say._  
>  _"It can wait, Lieutenant. You need to take some time and recuperate," Irons said..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> It was my intention when I started writing this story that one of my characters should have a terminal illness - a terminal illness for which the cure is culturally unacceptable to the victim. And that it should be one of the youngest crew members. Lt. Tauk is 21 years old.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 9: The Library  
Scene 13: Tauk's Notes

9.13  
Tauk’s Notes

             The Hunter broke orbit of Cophus II the moment Chief Dewayne Guth brought the wagon into the shuttlebay. Justice Minerva Irons was not yet convinced of the destination Lt. Tauk was recommending, but the Paleonus system lay along that path and the decision to take the Hunter into real danger could be made along the way.  
             Tauk was so insistent on the importance of this new mission that Irons went to visit him in sickbay, where he was undergoing evaluation following a less than optimal reaction to the shifting atmosphere of Cophus II. It took the young ferengi a few minutes to build up enough breath to launch into a conversation.

             "Fleet Admiral Scumuk never referred to Cophus II as 'The Library'." Tauk's voice was weak and he had to stop often to take a drink or use the breather. "There were references to 'The Library' throughout his notes until the last eight months when he changed his cypher. After that, he never mentioned it. He always referred to Cophus II as "the Sanctuary" and he visited every 20 years or so. When he refers to 'The Library' until the last few times it is always as a place he was searching for. But from the last references to it, I think he found it. And I think he found it in the Beta Quadrant - in the Dead Zone."  
             "He seemed quite insistent that someone needs to go there," Irons said.  
             "There are a lot of references to the Dead Zone in his last entries before he changed to his final cypher," Tauk said. "And something about gamma radiation and some sort of hulk. After he changed his cypher, it was as if someone else had taken over writing his notes. An entirely different personality - clinical - monomaniacal - focused entirely on creating the Weapon BCBs0 virus - which he referred to exclusively as 'my bolian bug'."  Tauk had to stop and use the breather for several minutes. It was clear he had much more to say.  
             "It can wait, Lieutenant. You need to take some time and recuperate," Irons said.  
             Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder was hovering, waiting to administer some sort of treatment, but the ferengi shook his head emphatically. "No," he managed to squeak, "no, I don't think it can." The effort was too much for him and he lapsed into a fit of coughing.  
             "I don't think you have a choice," said Dr. Jazz. "Use a pad. Write it down. You'll probably be able to communicate it more quickly that way. Especially if you have a lot more to say. Your lungs are needed just for breathing for now. No more talking."  
             Lt. Tauk grasped for a pad, but he was too weak to hold it and it clattered to the floor as his body was overcome with feeble coughing, blood seeping from his mouth. Dr. Jazz administered a light sedative and Tauk's coughing eased, allowing him to sleep fitfully, barely able to breathe.  
             2nd Lt. T'Lon, who had remained quietly seated nearby, said. "I will pull together all the references to 'the Library,' the 'Dead Zone,' gamma radiation and this 'hulk' from his notes." She turned to Dr. Jazz. "Let him know I'm on it - and that I'm putting the entire team on it. It will set his mind at ease so he can concentrate on recuperation."  
             Dr. Jazz had a serious expression. He called for Dr. Raj to keep an eye on Tauk and ushered Justice Irons and Lt. T'Lon into the medical office. "I'm not so certain recuperation is possible. His immune system is attacking his lung tissue. We've tried to hold it off, but at the moment he's too weak to survive surgery and I'm not certain if any course of treatment can help him at this point.  You might want to be prepared to say your farewells."  
             "How long do you think he has?" Irons asked.  
             "Hours. Days maybe. Or he might hold on for another week or two, but I don't see him improving much. There just isn't that much viable lung tissue left," Jazz said.  
             Irons turned toward T'Lon. "Get back to your team and get started. We will be at Paleonus V soon, where we will relieve our bolian benefactors of both Dr. Tali Shae and Dr. Napoleon Boles. Apparently the computer virus tests were successful in breaking the computer borne aspect of BCBs0 and the bolians are rather anxious to be rid of Dr. Boles." She turned to Dr. Jazz. "Sam, let us know if Lieutenant Tauk takes a turn for the worse."  
             Dr. Jazz nodded, his bajoran family earring jingling lightly.

9.13


	105. Episode 9.14 - The Library: Fleet Admiral Scumuk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Fleet Admiral Scumuk's final words...
> 
>  _He reached over and grasped Velesa's coat. "Minerva! You must revive the hulk! You must go to the Library - it is the only place you can learn how. It's all about gamma radiation. Gamma... gamma...' The elderly admiral's hand fell from Dr. Velessa's coat..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Vulcans do not react well to quadropseudoprozadiazomine...

9.14  
Fleet Admiral Scumuk       

             Dr. Velesa was present for the great healer's final words. Vulcans did not respond well to quadropseudoprozadiazomine and although the drug had apparently freed the elderly admiral from the mind control that had been established over him, he was succumbing to the secondary effects. For most species these could last up to 30 hours, but for vulcans the effects were often permanent.  
             Five days of extreme hallucinations and madness had taken their toll on Scumuk, but he quite suddenly had a few moments of clarity. "Dr. Velesa... That is your name, is it not?"  
             Velesa came and sat down beside the admiral, but she did not take his hand. He was still enormously strong and there was the additional risk that he might attempt a mind meld. "Yes, Admiral. I am Dr. Velesa. How are you feeling?”  
             "I am dying, doctor. I believe that Justice Minerva Irons is in the vicinity?"  
             "She is on a mission to Cophus II."  
             "That is good. She is where she needs to be. Minerva Irons is the right person in the right place at the right time. You must relay a message to her for me. It is vitally important - nothing in my life has been more important. Or in hers."  
             Velesa could see confusion and madness returning to Scumuk's eyes, his expression; she could hear it in his voice. The admiral was making a supreme effort to hold on to whatever scraps of sanity he had left.  
             "She must go to the Library! It is in my notes - how to find it. The Library is the only gamma radiation where she can... FELIX!! He will not let me say his name! Telix!! Madness - he does not care about life! He does not even care about vulcan life. All he cares for is revenge... A vulcan, obsessed with revenge to revive the hulk. She must revive the hulk! That is our only hope. Planetary shields are not enough. It's the gamma dead zone. The Library only FELIX!! Let me say what I need to say Squevix!!" The admiral grasped his head and howled in anguish - a horrible sound from a vulcan - at once pathetic and terrifying.  
             He reached over and grasped Velesa's coat. "Minerva! You must revive the hulk! You must go to the Library - it is the only place you can learn how. It's all about gamma radiation. Gamma... gamma...' The elderly admiral's hand fell from Dr. Velessa's coat. He looked up at her again, his eyes unfocused. "You are a remarkably beautiful woman." The light finally receded from the old vulcan's eyes. A moment later his breath stopped.  
             Dr. Velesa did not call for a revival cart. There was nothing left to revive. The readout had shown her the admiral's brain waves had ceased moments before his breathing.

             Dr. Tali Shae looked over at Justice Irons as the recording ended. “Thus ends the greatest medical mind in, well, all of written history… At least in the Alpha Quadrant… Minerva, I think we should show this to the executive staff."  
             "Tauk should see it," Irons said. "If he regains enough strength."  
             "Dr. Boles has an idea that might give Lieutenant Tauk a little more time," Tali said. "It's a crazy idea based on a procedure he developed for some rancher's prize cow, but the way he described it, it just might work. I don't think we have anything to lose at this point."  
         "Let's allow Lieutenant Tauk to make that decision," Irons said.

9 - The Library

 

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady 

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim

Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar

Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon   
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons N'gumbo  
        Ensign Tolon Reeves  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys

Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	106. Episode 10.1 - Interview With An Ethicist: Pilgrim's Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Kenny Dolphin arrives on the Colony of New Hope at Pilgrim's Landing for his interview on Subspace Radio Ivonovic..
> 
>  _“Just recently I think things have warmed up a bit with my youngest. The elder daughter hasn’t spoken to me in years,” Dolphin said._  
>  _Ivonovic relaxed back into his overstuffed armchair. “Count yourself fortunate, Dr. Dolphin. I have two ex-wives, three daughters and two step-daughters. None of them are on very good terms with me – we talk, but not often. I’m afraid my career has been very destructive to my attempts at family. At least you stopped at one marriage...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is the final episode for Series 1. I'm only halfway through writing Series 2, so I may slow down the posting after awhile..

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10:  Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 1: Pilgrim's Landing

Episode 10 - Interview With An Ethicist

_“…why are you out here tweaking the Tribunal’s nose and running your subversive little subspace radio program? If Star Fleet really wanted you in custody - if the Tribunal really wanted you to stand trial, they could easily have tracked you down by now…” Dr. Kenny Dolphin, Interview on Subspace Radio Ivonovic._

10.1  
Pilgrim’s Landing

             On arriving at Pilgrim’s Landing, Dr. Kenny Dolphin met with Governor Emory Ivonovic’s representatives, who ushered him into a room and demanded all of his clothing. A suit of clothing, complete with undergarments and a highly polished pair of Wellingtons, was laid out for him. Dolphin was a bit discomfited that the governor’s representatives insisted on watching as he disrobed and then searching him for tracking devices, but they seemed satisfied once he entered the shower and allowed him to don his new wardrobe in relative privacy.  
             Dolphin could not help but admire the new clothing he had been given. He had never worn anything so well made – all hand-made clothing, including the socks and undergarments. Made from fabrics with extremely high thread counts. The suit was simple, dark brown with a subtle gold pin striping and a simple white shirt, but flawlessly tailored from extremely high quality wools, silks and cotton and fitted to him so precisely that he wondered where they had gotten his measurements from.  
             As he emerged from the dressing room, one of the governor’s representatives stepped up briskly behind him and administered a fast-acting sedative.

             Dolphin awoke in a darkened room, seated in an overstuffed leather armchair. Another of the governor’s representatives, this time an attractive young woman, ushered him, once the sedative had worn off, to an adjoining room. A simple table supported a small amount of fresh fruit, water and a few slices of homemade breads and cheeses. The two rooms appeared to have only the one door between them. But when Dolphin returned to the interview room, only one other person was in the room – Governor Emory Ivonovic.

             “I apologize for any inconvenience and discomfort, Dr. Dolphin. Your clothing and any items they contained, including your communicator, are safely stored back on New Hope and will be returned to you when you return to Pilgrim’s Landing. I hope that the gift of a tailor-made Gillano suit will serve as sufficient apology for our precautions.”

             “I take it that Gillano is a tailor on New Hope?” Dolphin responded.  
             “Gillano and Sons. Established shortly after the city of Charity was founded. The shop is still located on the original main street where Philippa Gillano first opened it with her sons more than 200 years ago. Most people are unaware of the many fine goods manufactured by hand on the Colony of New Hope, but the founders of the colony brought that aesthetic with them and we natives are quite proud of the quality of our home industries.”  
             “I have never worn anything so comfortable or so well-made. It is a fine gift. I had anticipated some fairly intrusive inspection on my arrival. Your representatives were respectful, if quite thorough. My doctor might learn something from how carefully they inspected my loins…”

             Ivonovic laughed, then ushered Dolphin to the overstuffed chair he had awoken in. He took a seat in a similar armchair situated at a 90 degree angle. A small table between them held a carafe of ice water and two glasses. “Let’s talk a little before we begin recording. I want to be sure that you are comfortable with what we are doing here. We should lay out some ground rules – I will start: It is my intention to air this interview in its entirety, unbroken, with no edits except for those you request. If I believe we are getting into something that, for any reason, I would be uncomfortable airing, I will let you know as we are discussing it. Please let me know what areas you would like to avoid.”  
             “I want to keep my family out of this,” Dolphin said. “People may be aware that I am divorced, but I don’t want my daughters or my ex-wife to suffer any more exposure than they already have in all of this.”      
             “How many daughters do you have?”  
             “Two.”  
             “Do they still talk to you?”  
             “Just recently I think things have warmed up a bit with my youngest. The elder daughter hasn’t spoken to me in years,” Dolphin said.  
             Ivonovic relaxed back into his overstuffed armchair. “Count yourself fortunate, Dr. Dolphin. I have two ex-wives, three daughters and two step-daughters. None of them are on very good terms with me – we talk, but not often. I’m afraid my career has been very destructive to my attempts at family. At least you stopped at one marriage.”

             “I have no intention of re-marrying,” Dolphin said.

             “Wise move. If one woman divorces you – maybe it’s her. If two divorce you, you are the problem.”  
             “I didn’t need the second marriage to tell me that.”

             Ivonovic laughed again. “Are you ready to begin the interview? I will call my assistants in. There will be two recording specialists here throughout. They will stop us only if there is a problem with the equipment or a security issue.”  
             Dolphin relaxed back into the plush leather armchair, rolled his head back, letting his body melt into it and remained motionless for several heartbeats. He leaned forward and stretched, sat up and composed himself, then said, “Let’s go.”

10.1

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)  
   
At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim  
   
Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar  
   
Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon  
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons Ngumbo  
        Ensign Tolon Reeves  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys  
   
Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	107. Episode 10.2 - Interview With An Ethicist: The Procedure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Napoleon Boles (a large-animal biologist, not a medical doctor) designs a surgery to prolong Tauk's life...
> 
>  _Boles ran his hand over his blue, hairless scalp, then squeezed the back of his own neck. “Assuming you survive the surgery and assuming it works, maybe one good year and maybe one or two not-so-good years after that..."_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The scenes in Episode 10 are set up to go back and forth between the interview and what is happening on the U.S.S. Hunter.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 2: The Procedure

10.2  
The Procedure

             Lt. Tauk was too weak to assent to the surgery verbally, but was able to communicate using a pad. “Will the treatment alter me genetically?” he wrote.  
             Dr. Boles was sitting next to the young ferengi. “No. We will install a number of machines into your lung to generate new tissue, remove damaged tissue and replace it with newly generated tissue. Some of the tissues will be artificial, but none of this material will alter you genetically.”  
             Lt. Tauk wrote another question, “How much time will this give me?”  
             Boles ran his hand over his blue, hairless scalp, then squeezed the back of his own neck. “Assuming you survive the surgery and assuming it works, maybe one good year and maybe one or two not-so-good years after that. That would be the best I outcome I think we could reasonably expect. Still, there is a big difference between a few years and a few days.”  
             Tauk started to write on his pad, then turned and noticed 2nd Lt. T’Lon, Ensign Tolon Reeves, along with both his investigators and all four members of the tactical squad - his entire staff. It took an enormous effort for him to sigh. He removed the breather from his mouth and tried to say something, tears in his eyes from the effort. He finally settled for nodding his head.  
             Dr. Tali Shae said, “Let the record show that Lieutenant Tauk has assented to the surgery.”  
             Tauk was writing furiously into the pad, handed it to T’Lon. “Not fair, you bringing the entire staff here!”  
             Lt. T’Lon stepped forward, caressed Tauk’s forehead. “I apologize, sir. But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. I am simply doing my duty by our team.”  
             Tauk managed a weak smile, entered another sentence into the pad and handed it back to T’Lon before the doctors ushered the ground operations team out of the small surgery: “I will get payback for this…”

10.2


	108. Episode 10.3 - Interview With An Ethicist: The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Ivonovic interviews Dolphin about his doctoral dissertation (and surprise best-seller) The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species.
> 
>  _"...So after I left the DA’s office…”_  
>  _“I heard you were fired…”_  
>  _“After I was fired from the DA’s office…”_  
>  _Emory Ivonovic laughed. “Now you have to tell us, in just a few words, why...”_  
>   
>  _"...Even vulcans, andorians, trills – they all seem to succumb to extremism rather than just stopping and thinking things through for themselves. As a result, we see not only humans, but vulcans, andorians, trills, bajorans and every other species lining up on both sides of the issue and none of them with any better justification for their hardened opinions than the most transparently half-baked rationalizations..."_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is a very talky scene - it's all dialogue. I recommend reading this aloud - talky segments just read better that way. 
> 
> Kenny Dolphin is not my avatar, but when it comes to ethical philosophy, he is very much my mouthpiece...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 3: The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species

10.3  
The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species

             “I don’t suppose I need to give a long introduction to my guest. In a civilization of tens of billions of people, his is a household name and a very familiar face – beloved, berated, but impossible to ignore. At Subspace Radio Ivonovic, we have simply been inundated with requests for me to interview Dr. Kenny Dolphin, author of The Morality of Hybridizing Sentient Species – which has to be the most readable doctoral dissertation in – ever – well, come on, dissertations tend to be rather dry. Dr. Dolphin also authored The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr, the Vulcan Mating Cycle – which, in addition to the majority of polite Federation society already put off by his dissertation, made Dr. Dolphin especially unpopular in vulcan circles. And he is also the author of Fundamentals of Federation Ethics, which might well have ruined him with our constituency, if anyone had bothered to read it thoroughly. In preparation for this interview, I went back and re-read all three books. And it felt like I was reading this material for the first time, which makes me even more curious, Dr. Dolphin, what got into you that made you want to study and write all this stuff?”  
           Dolphin looked up, surprised. “Well, that’s a question I wasn’t expecting. I’d have to say I first got interested in interspecies relations and particularly the status of hybrids in human culture because of all the hate crimes toward non-humans that I worked for the New York City District Attorney’s office. I suppose that interspecies violence in large population centers is kind of inevitable, but it seemed to me that the most virulent hatred was reserved for hybrids – I even saw it on the police force – and there were hybrids in police uniform, out there every day protecting the children and families of the people who just utterly reviled them. So after I left the DA’s office…”  
            “I heard you were fired…”  
            “After I was fired from the DA’s office…”  
            Emory Ivonovic laughed. “Now you have to tell us, in just a few words, why.”

             Dolphin sighed. “Performance. I took too long investigating cases, had a low conviction rate. I got interested in cases that weren’t assigned to me… I really wasn’t cut out for the job. But I took what I learned back to Harvard with me and just kept bringing in every line of inquiry to try to get at where all this anger was coming from. I tried bringing this topic to several different departments – law, criminal justice, sociology, statistics, history, biology… Ultimately, it seemed to me to fundamentally be an ethical problem that encompassed all of those disciplines, which brought me to the Philosophy department. What I found - and this is primarily what my work is known for - was there is some justification for all this anger about hybrids. It isn’t their fault or the fault of their parents - or even the doctors who provide the genetic engineering that makes these children possible. It is incumbent within the rules that those doctors have to operate by.”

             “I have quoted your summation of those rules many times on this program,” Ivonovic said. “The doctors are required to ‘preserve the genetic distinctiveness of each parent species to the greatest extent possible’.”

             “That language actually comes directly from Federation law. And it can so easily be taken as a directive to give hybrid children what are thought to be the best attributes of each species,” Dolphin replied. “So a hybrid human/vulcan child might be given not intelligence in the average range of vulcans, but deliberately given the highest intelligence possible for vulcans, the longest lifespan possible for vulcans, the best in human adaptability and emotional stability, the human reproductive cycle – all of these characteristics enhanced to the greatest extent possible. Parents of, if you will, naturalborn children, have a legitimate concern that their children may not have a reasonable expectation of competing against genetically engineered hybrids. Hybrids are still a very small minority of the population, but those kinds of demographics have a way of changing in a surprisingly short amount of time.”  
            “And I have also seen what this policy can do at its extremes,” Dolphin continued. “We recently encountered a serial killer who was hybrid betazoid and vulcan - and had the telepathic abilities of both. Not just what might be average for either a betazoid or a vulcan - she had the telepathic abilities of the strongest betazoid and the strongest vulcan - abilities that would occur in less than one in one billion of either species if she had gotten a natural throw of the dice.”

             Ivonovic leaned forward. “But those observations weren’t what estranged you from polite society throughout the Federation, were they? It was the eugenic implications that really stirred up the hornet’s nest.”  
            Dolphin took a deep breath. “This is where the understanding of what I was doing went horribly off course. I offered a few thought experiments and even some of the most disciplined philosophers I knew mistook them for reasoned arguments against allowing hybrid children to be conceived at all. That wasn’t anywhere near my point.”

             “What was your point? What is your point?” Ivonovic queried. “Pull this together for us.”

             “The biggest problem in ethics is a failure to think things through. A failure to consider all the implications, all the potential consequences of our actions, our policies, our institutions. People want to glom onto simple rules. Simple answers. And they are always inadequate. People who had a gut dislike for hybrids have mined my writings for everything that supports their position and they take things out of context. Just so they can say ‘I’m right’ and try to impose their own selfish, homespun rules on society.”  
             “What I’ve been pleading for, really all my life, is for people to just slow down and think everything through rather than standing on their prejudices. The prevailing prejudice in the Federation – or so it seemed to me at the time – was that the advent of hybrids was a wonderful thing to be encouraged and supported without introspection. The policies that came from this attitude are just not a product of careful thinking. I illustrated this with a thought experiment that has probably become the most notorious thing I have ever written.”

             “Take us through that thought experiment,” Ivonovic said.

             “Let me preface that by saying I did not exhaustively research this hypothesis and it should be taken as an example of things we need to think about, not settled science,” said Dolphin. “Okay, we know that the descendants of hybrids also need genetic manipulation – for several generations – often several interventions to maintain equilibrium among their genetic heritage from different species – often throughout their lifetimes. What happens when, perhaps a few thousand years from now, the vast majority of humanity has this requirement? Could we be setting our species up for complete dependence on a lifetime of genetic intervention for the majority of individuals?”  
             “Another consideration is that with all this engineering, not enough of their genetic heritage is left to chance. Doctors are not gods, yet this requirement for doctors to provide genetic engineering puts them in the driver’s seat – selecting genetic traits and leaving little or nothing to chance. We know that it was chance – the mindless, brutal experimentation of nature – that made each of our species possible and successful. Are we really ready to replace that natural filter with our own under-informed prejudices?”

            “That sounds like an argument against allowing the human species – or for that matter the vulcan, the bajoran, the andorian – any of these species to become hybridized…” Ivonovic said.  
            “But that is not what I was arguing. I was only offering these as things we need to think about – and only as examples, not an exhaustive list.” Dolphin was quite animated, speaking passionately, emphasizing his words with his hands. “I didn’t spend as much time listing the many benefits of hybridization because at the time the audience I thought I was addressing were touting those benefits at the top of their lungs. But it is worth saying to everyone else – by adding the unique genetic material of vulcans into the human species, we benefit from the potential improvements in human intelligence, lifespan and physical strength. And that’s just vulcans. Each species that has born or sired partially human children has added potentials to the human genome that might never arise within humanity otherwise. And that’s just the genetic contributions – not to mention the broader cultural benefits of bringing our diverse peoples closer together into tight-knit families.”  
            “I never said, ‘do not allow non-humans to mate with humans’,” Dolphin continued. “Nor did I ever advocate any sort of moratorium. Ethically, that would be unsupportable – to tell an interspecies couple who have the real potential for children that they are not allowed to have children just because it is inconvenient for the state of the science? What I was pleading for, what I am pleading for is careful study – what are the implications? What are the potential consequences? What policies could we introduce to improve the potential outcomes and avoid potential negative consequences both near- and long-term? I just want people to think all these issues through.” Dolphin raised his hands, then dropped them with a thump onto the arms of his chair in frustration.  
            “What we got instead is a lot of people wanting to stop hybridization altogether and others wanting to open the floodgates and never think about the issue again. Even vulcans, andorians, trills – they all seem to succumb to extremism rather than just stopping and thinking things through for themselves. As a result, we see not only humans, but vulcans, andorians, trills, bajorans and every other species lining up on both sides of the issue and none of them with any better justification for their hardened opinions than the most transparently half-baked rationalizations. Even the vulcans seemed unwilling to think these things through rigorously, logically – instead of fixating on illogical assumptions, traditions and prejudices. Even the vulcans. I found that particularly astonishing – and frustrating.”

            Ivonovic relaxed back into his chair, steepled his fingers. “Let’s talk about those vulcans…”

10.3


	109. Episode 10.4 - Interview With An Ethicist: Navigating Romulan Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor, the U.S.S. Hunter's Assistant Director of Flight Operations, lays out a recommended course through romulan space to get to the Great Library in the Dead Zone...
> 
>  _“You are right, David. This entire mission plan is a desperate gamble. But one we must take,” Irons said..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Navigation stories are a bit difficult to write as well. But hopefully this will make sense. It's important to know where the ship is and where it's going...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 4: Navigating Romulan Space

10.4  
Navigating Romulan Space

             2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor was at the front of the large conference room, standing next to a holographic chart displaying a proposed route from what was essentially the middle of federation space, through the remnants of the Romulan Star Empire to get to the mysterious Dead Zone in the Beta Quadrant. Very little was known about this area – it was not readily available to federation research vessels and the romulans were not forthcoming about the region. The most relevant information came from the Klingon Empire and mostly consisted of a long list of missing ships that had ventured there, never to return.   
             Crossing romulan space was probably more dangerous now than it had been before the destruction of Romulus in the Hobus event. The largest part of the Imperial Romulan Fleet had escaped the event, along with most colonial romulan populations.  Additionally, nearly 2 billion romulans had been successfully evacuated from the planet before its destruction, including the Romulan Senate.   
             While the loss of 16 billion romulans – more than half their population – along with their homeworld and primary shipyards and manufacturing resources had devastated the empire, the romulan military was more on alert than ever, readier to destroy any unidentified intruder. The tendency of klingon and nausicaan pirates to raid deep into romulan space only made things worse. Star Fleet had become embroiled in endless skirmishes on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone to stop pirates at the border. Romulan warbirds had been spotted waiting inside the Neutral Zone during some of these skirmishes. Pirates interdicted on the Federation side had the option to surrender to Star Fleet. Those who made it into the Neutral Zone could expect no such mercy from the romulans.

             “We are operating with a large number of assumptions,” said Gamor. “First, we assume the romulans are watching the Neutral Zone more diligently than ever. Second, we assume the romulans have managed to break the warp 10 barrier and are unconcerned about the damage that high speed warp travel causes to local spacetime. Third, we anticipate the romulans will respond to incursions into their territory with deadly force and will not negotiate. Finally, there is no reason to think that the romulans wouldn’t follow us into the Dead Zone.”  
            “Taking all these into account, in my opinion, our best course of action, given we have little choice but to cross romulan space to get to the Dead Zone, is to avoid contact with the romulans, which will require us to move very fast and to take an unpredictable course. It is impossible to enter romulan space without them knowing about us. It is vital that they do not figure out where we are going,” Gamor concluded.  
            Dr. Carrera took up part of the presentation. “Using recursive warp, we will not leave a traditional warp trail. That does not mean our trail will be undetectable. If the romulans look for any anomaly they can trace from a point in space through which they know we have traveled, they may well find evidence of the zip drive in eddies of reduced entropy in the fabric of spacetime. So our recommendation is that whenever we cross through any space in which we anticipate the romulans have sensors, that we do so at high warp using traditional warp mode. Once we are clear of sensor range, and only after checking for evidence of pursuit, we can switch to recursive mode. Our recommendation is to than double-back on our trail to cover the trail of reduced entropy caused by the zip drive.”  
            Gamor gestured to the star map. “Our plan is to enter the Neutral Zone at warp 9 and alter our course so that when we pass the second set of sensors on the romulan side of the Neutral Zone, we appear to be making a beeline for the remnants of the Romulus system.”  
            Lt. Tauk, propped up in a hover-chair, said, very quietly, his voice still weak from recovery, “Our klingon sources have told us the romulans have been very protective of that region of space. We suspect they have located significant infrastructure in that area. They might have found resources that could be salvaged from the destruction of their homeworld.”   
             “Once we have crossed into romulan space,” Gamor continued, “we switch to recursive warp mode, double back to cover our trail, then alter our course by 0x:0y:-90z, diving straight down out of the galactic plane. We will then adjust course to take us toward the Dead Zone. Because the majority of star systems and assets within the Romulan Empire are within a standard deviation of the galactic plane, and the outliers are primarily located above the galactic plane, the romulans should have fewer assets and sensors below the plane. Also, since there has been less warp activity in this area, the eddies of reduced entropy left by our zip drive should be more difficult to trace. We will adjust our course so that our nadir below the galactic plane coincides with our estimate of the border between the area patrolled by the romulans and the Dead Zone.”   
             “The klingons tell us the romulans do not enter the Dead Zone unless they need to,” Tauk said. He took a drink, then continued, “Apparently the romulans have not had much better luck than the klingons with ships returning from that region of space.”

             Pep took a deep breath. “It is a desperate gamble, Min. But if we were to try to use klingon space to flank the romulans it would add at least three weeks to our journey and would probably have less chance of success. The romulans are really watching their border with the Klingon Empire.”  
            Justice Minerva Irons leaned forward. “What are the chances the romulans know where this library is and are watching that area?”  
            Lt. Tauk took a slow, difficult breath. “We should plan for it. They may not have a ship stationed in that area, but we should expect some intelligence assets – a sensor of some sort.”  
            “I am recommending we come out of warp in quiet mode and stay dark for at least thirty minutes just listening,” said Dr. Carrera. “If we do trip a wire on our arrival, we should pick up its transmission and that should give us information we need to choose our next course of action – flee, fight, or continue the mission.”  
             Irons thought for a few moments, looking around the table. “Lieutenant Gamor, at warp 10, how long would it take a romulan warbird traveling from romulan space to the coordinates we derived from Admiral Scumuk’s notes?”  
             Gamor did not hesitate. “Just under seven hours.”  
             Irons looked around the room again. “The plan is approved, but once we arrive at our destination, our dark time will be three minutes, not thirty minutes. Sarekson, work with Hunter and automate the signal search and the search for the tripwire device. Once we are in the Dead Zone, the time for caution and strategy is over. We go straight to our mission. Surgical. In: out. Gaia – do we have an exit strategy?”  
             “Two of them,” Gamor responded. “If we think we were not followed, we return along a course similar to our path to the Library. If we are followed or discovered, best speed to klingon space.”  
             “That would be a very desperate gambit,” Irons said. “We cannot count on the klingons to come to our aid, nor can we count on the romulans ending pursuit at the klingon border. And that is very probably where the romulans have placed the greatest concentration of their resources.”  
             “That is what we are counting on, your honor,” came Tauk’s feeble voice. “Pep got a message through to the klingons. They have agreed to put some pressure on that border. Hopefully, it will draw romulan resources away from our path.”  
             “And the romulans will be less inclined to draw resources away to chase us if they’re seeing a buildup on the klingon side,” Pep concluded.  
             “You are right, David. This entire mission plan is a desperate gamble. But one we must take,” Irons said.  
             “Star Fleet is assigning us to this mission?” asked Lt. Cmdr. Mlady.  
             “No. This assignment comes from a little further up the chain. I cannot say more about that for the moment,” Irons said. “Okay David, take us to the Library.”

10.4


	110. Episode 10.5 - Interview With An Ethicist: The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> (Exiled) Governor Emory Ivonovic interviews Dr. Kenny Dolphin about his second book, The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr, The Vulcan Mating Cycle.
> 
>  _“So you wrote an entire book about the impact of humans on the vulcan mating cycle. Were you really surprised when you ended up with a few planets full of honked off vulcans?” Ivonovic asked..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Some of the ideas in this segment come from the Star Trek Enterprise series - an autopsy reveals a man from the future who appears to be human actually carries DNA from at least 14 separate species, including vulcans...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 5: The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr

10.5  
The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr

             “So you wrote an entire book about the impact of humans on the vulcan mating cycle. Were you really surprised when you ended up with a few planets full of honked off vulcans?” Ivonovic asked.  
              “Well, their famous emotional self-control aside, I kind of expected more logical analysis and fewer attempts to sweep embarrassing facts under the carpet. There were a few vulcans who argued against my evidence – all of it straight from Federation demographics. Which, by the way, are getting harder to come by these days. I’m really glad I didn’t decide on civic planning for my next career.”  
             “Why on earth did you want to write about the vulcan mating cycle?” Ivonovic asked. “There is no shortage of literature on it. We humans do seem quite fascinated by it.”  
            “Someone very close to me just recently told me that I had accused humans of causing the eventual extinction of vulcans,” Dolphin replied. “It wasn’t the first time I was accused of saying that – there was a line in my dissertation about humans hastening vulcan extinction. That offhand comment really upset a lot of very powerful people and cost me my tenure – very nearly cost me my professorship. It would have if my notoriety had not been drawing record numbers of new students to the Philosophy department.”  
            “So I wanted to set the record straight. Humans are not causing vulcan extinction – in fact we are their best hope if anything is to survive of the vulcans’ unique genetics and culture. Vulcan/human breeding continues at a breakneck pace with vulcan/human hybrids outnumbering all other human hybrids combined and more vulcan/human births each year than births of undiluted vulcans,” Dolphin said.

             Ivonovic’s eyes widened. “That is an astonishing statistic.”

             “To my knowledge, vulcans and humans were the first two truly distinct sentient species in the Alpha quadrant to willingly interbreed. There are species we are more biologically compatible with and species the vulcans have more biological compatibility with. But somehow there is a powerful emotional and cultural bond between humans and vulcans. In some way, we each represent the other’s most heartfelt aspirations. And I have known many human/vulcan hybrids. I think everyone who knew the late T’Lok Smith would say she was the best of us. It almost seems inevitable that our species are merging. And if the result is more people like her, we will all be the better for it.”  
            “Now it’s sounding like you completely approve of hybridization,” Ivonovic mused, his fingers again steepled.  
            “That is the whole thing in a nutshell.” Dolphin gestured with his fingertips tight against the tip of his thumb, creating a circle. “It isn’t my place to approve or disapprove of people of different species falling in love, wanting children. Or even wanting to interbreed and have children without being in love. It isn’t my place, it is not your place, not the place of the Federation Tribunal, nor of the Naturalborn. It is not and should not be up to us - which gets into my third book - because individual sovereignty must be at the base of our ethical system.”  
             “Yet people who are otherwise egalitarian and individualistic to a fault want to have an opinion and think themselves entitled to legislate other people’s lives when it comes to whom they love, whom they sleep with, whom they marry, whom they have children with - the most intimate aspects of our neighbors’ lives.”

             Ivonovic held up his hand, fingers together, palm toward Dolphin. “It almost sounds like you are talking out of both sides of your mouth, Dr. Dolphin. At one point you said people have a legitimate grievance about hybrids and with the next breath you say it is none of their business what kind of or how many hybrids are created.”

            “You have it surrounded, Governor. That is it exactly. It is what I have been saying this entire time. We cannot say ‘STOP.’ We cannot say ‘GO.’ We cannot and should not try to control the most intimate of individual family decisions. What we can do is influence and shape the institutions, societal norms, policies and culture in which individuals live and breed,” Dolphin said passionately.  
             “It is all about culture and what I am advocating is a culture of thoughtfulness, curiosity, inquiry, responsibility. A culture that does not tell people how to arrange their private lives, but encourages them to think things through carefully, consider and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions and take precautions and actions to try to create the best possible outcomes for their children and the culture those children will grow up in. And a culture that makes resources available to facilitate that level of thought and the potential decisions that result. This is why I focused so tightly on the rules governing the genetic interventions that make hybrid children possible. Those rules are up to us and they must be just, reasonable, and responsible – and I don’t think that they are any of those things as they stand at this moment.”

             “I think I need a moment to just think that through,” said Ivonovic  
             “I think we all need that moment,” Dolphin agreed.

10.5


	111. Episode 10.6 - Interview With An Ethicist: Prognosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Napoleon Boles discusses Lt. Tauk's prognosis with Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder and Dr. Tali Shae.
> 
>  _“Wait,” Dr. Jazz objected, “you’re telling me that not only had you never before done surgery on any sentient species, you extrapolated the procedure for Lieutenant Tauk’s lung from a procedure you invented for the multiple stomachs of a ruminant?”_  
>  _Dr. Boles rubbed his neck again. “Yep.” He yawned widely..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> I got so involved in Tauk's illness that the actual events in the Dead Zone kind of got bunched up at the end of this episode.

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 6: Prognosis

10.6  
Prognosis

              “Looking at the case history, it’s fairly clear we need to restrict Dr. Tauk to shipboard duty.” Dr. Napoleon Boles was seated in the medical office with Dr. Tali Shae and Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder. Still officially assigned to Star Fleet Medical, Dr. Boles was still wearing the blue uniform, unlike the Hunter’s crew who wore JAG black. “He should not go on away missions unless absolutely necessary and in those cases, he should at minimum use a breather exclusively if not an entire EVA suit. We need to explore the possibility of building a breather directly into his sinus cavity.”  
            “That would be really intrusive,” Dr. Jazz said.  
            “Look at the case history again.” Boles tapped the reader on the desk between them. “Every episode appears to have been aggravated by breathing non-shipboard air. His immune system is always attacking his lung tissue, but it goes into overdrive when he breathes in any contaminants. I don’t think we can obtain compliance with a breather at all times shipboard, but we can control the atmosphere in his sleeping/escape pod. I want to increase his sleep time – in the pod – to no less than 11 hours daily with an enriched atmosphere mix. He can sleep a standard 8 hours during his off duty hours. The remainder should be 30 minute naps distributed throughout his day, including during his duty shift.”

             “Six 30-minute naps?” asked Dr. Tali Shae.

             “The controlled atmosphere and breathing will greatly improve his survivability. From what I can tell, Tauk is extremely disciplined. If he approaches his health with the same discipline he applies to solving problems, he should see dramatic improvements in both areas.” Dr. Boles squeezed the back of his neck, took a drink of something rather steamy. The steam rising from his drink was reddish and managed to appear heavy, cascading over the side of his cup.  
            “Four more surgeries?” asked Dr. Jazz.  
            “The lung tissue factories we installed are grown from Tauk’s stem cells,” Boles responded. “They will age and degrade like any organ. We need to chart their growth and death and install new factories over a period of time. These four are the first of a long series of surgeries. Eventually, his immune system will attack the factories themselves, at which time we will be into a downward spiral. We will also need to refresh the nanites that remove the dead tissue and install the new tissue inside his lung. Fortunately, this can be done with a monthly injection. Unfortunately, we will have to inject the nanites directly into his lung.”  
             “I find it hard to believe that you are not a medical doctor – not even a veterinarian,” said Dr. Jazz. “I have never heard of any procedure like this.”  
             “Probably because ferengi are among the only people who might ever need it,” said Boles. “I invented the procedure to treat a prize bullgrox that had a similar genetic defect that caused its immune system to attack its own stomach linings. We could have easily corrected the problem with the animal’s genome, but any genetic editing would have disqualified the animal as a breeder – making it worthless to the rancher I was working for.”  
             “Wait,” Dr. Jazz objected, “you’re telling me that not only had you never before done surgery on any sentient species, you extrapolated the procedure for Lieutenant Tauk’s lung from a procedure you invented for the multiple stomachs of a ruminant?”  
             Dr. Boles rubbed his neck again. “Yep.” He yawned widely.  
             Dr. Jazz shook his head slowly, his bajoran family earring jingling quietly. “There is a fine line between genius and madness… I’m not really certain which side of it you are on…”

10.6


	112. Episode 10.7 - Interview With An Ethicist: Fundamentals of Federation Ethics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> (Exiled) Governor Emory Ivonovic continues recording his program with Dr. Dolphin. The conversation turns to Dolphin's 3rd and final book, Fundamentals of Federation Ethics.
> 
>  _Dolphin laughed. He then assumed a mock serious expression and slowly raised both his hands – arms outstretched. His voice took on a mock stentorian tone – his head shaking slightly side to side to add dramatic vibrato:_
> 
> _“THOU SHALT NOT PLAY GOD!!!”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> When I created these characters, I had ideas about why they had the names I gave them - where these names came from. Justice Minerva Irons is Chinese, but does not have a Chinese name. She explains where the Irons family name came from in Episode 13 (coming up in Star Trek Hunter - Series 2). 
> 
> Dolphin is a bit of an odd name. There is a reason for it - in this episode...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 7: Fundamentals of Federation Ethics

10.7  
Fundamentals of Federation Ethics

             “So I think it is worth going to the heart of your philosophy and after giving Fundamentals of Federation Ethics a second read – well, truthfully, I had not really paid much attention to this book and it was by far the shortest book that you wrote.” Ivonovic laced his fingers, put his hands behind his head, leaned back. “The book is remarkably short on scholarly references. Short, to the point, and more of a philosophical construct than a historical study.” Ivonovic sat forward, placed his hands on his knees, leaned toward Dolphin. “So what gives you the right to invent an ethical system for the Federation out of the whole cloth?”  
             Dolphin raised his eyebrows, smiled, looked down and made an amused noise. “I didn’t cite scholarly works or historical works. I cited Federation law, and some of the human, vulcan and andorian legal precedents directly. Federation law exhaustively annotates the precedents from which it is drawn and also exhaustively explains the moral purposes for each statute. In many ways, Fundamentals was a book that any decent lawyer should be able to write without a great deal of new scholarly work. I suppose at this point I should remind you that I was a lawyer before I became an academic – and it was precisely the intersection of law and morality that brought me to the field of ethics.”  
             Ivonovic chuckled. “I thought, for a moment there, you were about to say that you were a lawyer before you became a scholar, which could be taken as a bit of a dig against lawyers.”  
            “You cannot have a utopia without the rule of law. Paradise is not possible without lawyers,” Dolphin said. “Besides, it was the family business…”

            “Law was the family business?” Ivonovic asked.

            “The Dolphins of New England were lawyers before they became Dolphins. The Second World War that dominated the middle of the 20th Century made German names very unpopular in North America – especially the name Adolph. So when my distant ancestor, Hans Adolph, fresh out of Harvard with a law degree just after the war, found himself unwelcome in Providence, he changed his name to John Dolphin. He eventually became a partner at a large firm which still bears the name and generations of my family have worked there. Typically after first serving for a number of years in a prosecutor’s office – a kind of combined public service and training ground.”  
            “I grew up wanting to be a pilot,” Dolphin continued, “and only started to live that dream after failing at law and making such a mess of my academic career that I very nearly got the entire university incinerated – I could fairly say all the ruckus over my work has given the word ‘philosopher’ a black eye.”

            “Am I detecting a regret about the course of your career?”

            “Only inasmuch as it seemed at the time that I had made things worse. But I am not so convinced now as I was when ‘polite society’ as you put it was berating me for enabling hatred and bigotry against hybrids. At the time, I thought I had really fanned the flames as I was accused of doing. Now, I’m not so certain. I feel now that my work brought a lot of smoldering resentments out into the open, which is the only way that those resentments can be addressed and, hopefully, healed.”  
            Ivonovic raised his eyebrows again. “So you think your work has provided some positive public service?”  
            “Well, I was far less the surgeon re-breaking your nose in order to set it properly and far more the proverbial bull in the china shop…”

            Ivonovic laughed. “We keep wandering away from the thesis of your ‘Fundamentals’…”

            Dolphin ticked off points on his fingers. “Self Determination, Egalitarianism, Self Control, Consequentialism. If individual sovereignty means anything – and I think that it does to every individual at least from the human, vulcan, bajoran, andorian, bolian, denobulan, ferengi, klingon, cardassian, romulan and nearly every other species I can think of offhand... At least for themselves if not for everyone else… If it means anything, it can only be supported by corporate responsibility. Which requires individual responsibility. It’s easier to lay it out in charts than to describe it verbally.”  
            “I was more interested in the way you characterized the Prime Directive,” said Ivonovic. “And linked it to genetic engineering as well as individual sovereignty issues. Probably the pithiest line in all of your writings. Care to sum it up for us?”  
            Dolphin laughed. He then assumed a mock serious expression and slowly raised both his hands – arms outstretched. His voice took on a mock stentorian tone – his head shaking slightly side to side to add dramatic vibrato:

            “THOU SHALT NOT PLAY GOD!!!”

            It took a few moments for Ivonovic to stop laughing. “That has to be my favorite sentence in any book I have ever read.”  
            “It should be the first commandment in any moral code,” Dolphin said.

10.7


	113. Episode 10.8 - Interview With An Ethicist: Gamma Gun Galaxy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Navigator Johanna Imex identifies a potential deadly threat to all life in the Milky Way...
> 
>  _Dr. Moon’s eyes lit up. “And sometimes black holes at the heart of small galaxies emit gamma bursts…”_  
>  _Dr. Boles followed the thought: “Which are deadly to any form of life…”_  
>  _Dr. Moon picked up the thought again: “So if, 1.8 billion years ago, that black hole was in an emission phase and assuming its axis aligns with our galaxy…”_  
>  _Imex continued, “Which is a reasonable assumption, given that its galactic disc is almost exactly parallel to ours...”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Of all the things that could wipe our species out, this is by far the scariest. Because at the moment, we do not have any foreseeable way of detecting it before it hits us or protecting ourselves from it.
> 
> And if this were to occur, it would instantly kill everything on our planet. Down to the last microbe. No life. At all.
> 
> I like to put a little science into my science fiction...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 8: Gamma Gun Galaxy

10.8  
Gamma Gun Galaxy

             About the time that Kenny Dolphin was enjoying a two-day layover at Deep Space 9 with Birlaura, prior to catching another freighter to the Colony of New Hope where he would meet with Governor Ivonovic for his interview, the U.S.S. Hunter had passed deep into romulan territory and was traveling at warp 13 well below the galactic plane.  This was a very rarely used tactic simply because of the astronomical distances involved – the outer disc of the Milky Way is about 1,000 light years deep. The Hunter’s viewscreen and windows revealed far fewer stars than usual and most of those remained distant – the parallax changing only slightly despite the boat’s unprecedented velocity.

             “It appears to be another spiral galaxy, much smaller than ours, and apparently rotating in the opposite direction.”

2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor had become accustomed to providing navigational and astronomical presentations in the executive conference room. Both of her navigators, Johanna Imex and Eli Strahl, were generally present for these and occasionally chimed in. Gamor had turned this presentation over to Navigator Imex as this galaxy was her discovery. Imex’s African and vulcan ancestors were both very dark skinned – Johanna Imex was nearly as dark as Gaia Gamor.  
            Imex had taken Gaia’s place next to the holographic display at the front of the conference room. The executive and senior staff were present. Lt. Tauk no longer required a hover chair, although he was still moving very slowly. A breather was attached just under his nose and intruded into his nostrils.  
             Dr. Carrera had brought his junior officers, Moon and Sun, as this presentation was also of interest to them. Dr. Boles was also present by invitation although he had not yet received a specific assignment and was still wearing the blue uniform of Star Fleet Medical. At the moment his commanding officer was Dr. Tali Shae, but he had not been formally attached to the medical department. While he had demonstrated an acerbic humor and a somewhat irascible personality, he had become widely admired for saving Tauk’s life.

             “We have estimated the distance, based on telemetry of its parallax, to be in the range of 2 billion light years,” said Imex. “This is a previously undiscovered galaxy – at least from Federation star charts. It is not surprising – as dim and distant as it is, it might have been obscured by any number of local phenomena within the Milky Way. We are only able to find this now because of how far we are traveling below the galactic plane.”  
             “Fascinating,” said Pep. “So why, of all the objects that you can now detect given our location, why is this galaxy significant?”  
             “We were looking for anything that could line up with the Dead Zone,” Imex replied. “Approximately 1.8 billion years ago, the center of that galaxy lined up almost exactly with the Dead Zone. We know there is a black hole at the center of that galaxy. And Dr. Scumuk went on about gamma radiation…”  
             Dr. Moon’s eyes lit up. “And sometimes black holes at the heart of small galaxies emit gamma bursts…”  
             Dr. Boles followed the thought: “Which are deadly to any form of life…”  
             Dr. Moon picked up the thought again: “So if, 1.8 billion years ago, that black hole was in an emission phase and assuming its axis aligns with our galaxy…”  
             Imex continued, “Which is a reasonable assumption, given that its galactic disc is almost exactly parallel to ours...”

             Dr. Tali Shae finished the thought: “That galaxy could be our killer.”

             “Is there a way to determine when the next gamma wave might have come from it?” Justice Minerva Irons asked.  
            Imex nodded. “As deadly as gamma radiation is, it only travels at the speed of light. We are currently about 500 light years below the galactic plane and will reach 1,000 light years below by the time we cross out of romulan space into the Dead Zone. I recommend we send a few probes toward the Dead Zone on trajectories designed to test for evidence of a gamma burst within the galactic plane and one, two and three standard deviations below.”  
             “There is a problem with that plan,” Dr. Carrera interjected. “It would reduce the Hunter’s mass significantly and there is not much in the way of space debris – not even trace gasses down here to replace that mass with. Without that mass, we will not be able to maintain warp 13. We would have to drop out of recursive warp mode. Warp 9.7 is the fastest we can safely travel in standard warp configuration – which in this neighborhood would be similar to going from a leisurely stroll to a dead crawl.”  
             Johanna Imex nodded. “That is why we are recommending a course deviation - it will add about a day to our travel time. There is a small solar system nearby. It’s a brown dwarf. There should be plenty of material in that area not only to replace the missing mass, but to provide the minerals you would need to replicate replacement drones, complete with fuel.” Next to the junior navigator, the holographic display shifted from displaying a remote galaxy to a brown dwarf solar system that included four planets – one of them a gas giant almost half the mass of the sun around which it revolved.  
             “I want long range telemetry – every sensor pointed at that system,” Pep said. “Let’s make sure we’re not warping into a secret romulan military installation.”

10.8


	114. Episode 10.9 - Interview With An Ethicist: Assistant Medical Director Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Dr. Jazz has to clear the air with his director about Dr. Boles...
> 
>  _Tali Shae was tremendously relaxed when Dr. Jazz walked into her private office. Even her antennae were laid back. “Something on your mind, Sam?”_  
>  _“Dr. Napoleon Boles,” Jazz rejoined. “I know he has not been formally assigned to our department, but, despite him not being a medical doctor, he should be. I hate to admit it, but the man is clearly a genius – a medical genius.”_  
>  _Tali smiled. “You don’t like him very much, do you?”_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Okay, I borrowed part of this scene from Band of Brothers. And I'm going to use this gimmick again and again...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 9: Assistant Medical Director Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder

10.9  
Assistant Medical Director Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder

             A few hours later, Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder arrived for an appointment with his department director. As he arrived at Dr. Tali Shae’s private office, Lt. Cmdr. Mlady was just leaving. Jazz was well aware of their odd relationship – as the ranking physician aside from Dr. Shae, their feeding relationship was under his medical supervision. And as assistant medical director, he, along with Justice Irons, had witnessed the disclosure of their intimate relationship as required by Star Fleet. He was also aware of Mlady’s similar relationship with Pep. Apparently Mlady liked to play with her food.   
             The medical implications aside, Jazz considered this not to be any of his business. He was simply following Star Fleet protocol as required. He remained professionally and personally incurious about the salacious details of the lives of his co-workers. It had taken Mlady more than a year to appreciate his disinterest, but he was gratified that she now accepted his presence in her life as her physician without embarrassment or discomfort.

             Tali Shae was tremendously relaxed when Dr. Jazz walked into her private office. Even her antennae were laid back. “Something on your mind, Sam?”  
             “Dr. Napoleon Boles,” Jazz rejoined. “I know he has not been formally assigned to our department, but, despite him not being a medical doctor, he should be. I hate to admit it, but the man is clearly a genius – a medical genius.”  
             Tali smiled. “You don’t like him very much, do you?”  
             Dr. Jazz shook his head. “Not that it should matter. He isn’t an easy man to like. But then again, you aren’t all that easy to like either and I warmed up to you – eventually. But that isn’t my concern. Dr. Boles is a full two-pip lieutenant – a senior officer. Once he becomes part of this department, I can no longer serve as your assistant director. It would create a conflict – I’m a 2nd lieutenant – I cannot supervise a senior officer.”  
             “You can, and you will, Sam,” Tali replied. “You disappoint me. You have the best hands of any surgeon I have ever worked with. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been around for a few more years than you. But you are underperforming as an officer. You should know protocol much better for our department. There is an exception to the rules about a junior officer supervising a senior officer – give it to me…”  
             Dr. Jazz rolled his eyes: “A junior officer may supervise a senior officer in any situation that requires medical or engineering expertise the junior officer has that the senior officer lacks. I was aware of that, Tali. But I don’t think it really applies in this case. True, Dr. Boles is not a medical doctor…”  
            “Full stop,” Tali Shae snapped. Her antennae came to attention - focused on Dr. Jazz. “Dr. Boles is a biologist, not a medical doctor. I don’t care how many shade tree operations he performed on Rancher Shogram’s horses, flat-horns, fleeces and bullgroxes, when it comes to operating on this crew, I want him supervised by an MD. If that isn’t me, it’s you. If that isn’t you, it’s Chrissiana. Or Sif. Or Tolon. Or even one of the holographic doctors – Raj or Kim. He doesn’t so much as touch a scalpel without one of us on his hip. He is a wild genius.”  
             Jazz nodded.  
             Tali Shae favored her chief surgeon with an evaluating look. “You need to be a better judge of character, Sam. Trust your instincts. What is the synonym for wild genius?”  
             “I am not a telepath, Tali,” Jazz objected.  
             Tali hit her desk with her knuckles hard enough to make objects on it jump. “Ticking time bomb. That man is going to be worth his weight in anti-matter around here. But he is also a menace. He’s an open flame in a room full of thruster fuel. He needs supervision. Not the smothering kind that would make him useless, but someone with a light hand on the reigns who knows when to ask the right questions. That is something you are good at, Sam. Trust yourself, you can supervise Napoleon when you need to.”  
             “I was about to say I would be okay with you naming him your assistant director…”  
             “You should realize by now that he is the last person I would put in charge of my department. Maybe eventually, when he learns to curb that wild streak. He does have natural leadership ability. But then, so do you, and you are far more trustworthy,” Tali Shae concluded.  
             Jazz took a deep breath.  
             Tali Shae retrieved a captain’s bottle from under her desk. It contained a sparkling yellow fluid. She poured two glasses, handed one to Dr. Jazz. “I have three assignments for you, Sam. Here’s the first – pineapple cider from Ocean. You need a good stiff drink.”  
             Dr. Jazz made an amused sound, took a sip. “Normally, I avoid alcohol. Mostly because of the taste.” He took a longer pull at the sparkling libation. “But Justice Irons’ family makes a very tasty drink.”  
             Tali Shae drained her glass, placed it on her desk with a thump. “That they do. Two more assignments, Sam. If Dr. Boles is to be useful around here, he needs to qualify as a physician’s assistant. I want you to supervise his training. The third thing I want you to do is fix that damn issue with your uniform – how dare you come in here looking like that?”  
             Jazz looked down, suddenly inspecting his uniform, internally panicked. He was particularly fastidious about his appearance and personal grooming.

             Dr. Tali Shae removed a small box from her desk, tossed it to her surgeon.  
             Jazz caught it deftly, opened it. He removed a full, platinum pip and looked at it, still quite confused.

             “Fix your uniform, Sam. It is not befitting a senior officer… No, wait, let me do it.” Tali got up, walked around her desk, removed the pip with a black dot in the center from Dr. Jazz’s collar, replaced it with the full platinum pip from his hand.  
             “There. Two full pips. Now protocol allows me to generally assign you to supervise an officer of the same rank – when the need arises. And in case you’re wondering, I put in the paperwork more than a month ago. You earned this promotion. I just delayed it until Star Fleet approved Dr. Boles’ attachment to my department. This boat is really top heavy with senior officers. Minerva had to pull a few strings to get it approved. I didn’t want to lose you to another command.”   
             Tali walked back around to her chair, sat back down. She looked pointedly at Dr. Jazz, then at his glass. “Are you going to finish that?”

             Jazz picked up his glass, looked at it, raised it slightly to Dr. Tali Shae, then drained it.

10.9


	115. Episode 10.10 - Interview With An Ethicist: Conspiracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The conversation between Ivonovic and Dolphin turns toward current events and particularly Ivonovic's current predicament...
> 
>  _“Here’s another fact for you, Kenny,” said Ivonovic. “This may well be my last broadcast. That cardassian battle cruiser didn’t just have a romulan cloaking device. It also had a romulan puppet-master. And she is not happy with me..."_  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Plot twist coming soon...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 10: Conspiracy

10.10  
Conspiracy

            “I think we may be about to stray into an area that I will not want to air in its entirety, if at all,” said Ivonovic. “But we have recorded nearly three hours of you waffling back and forth between quotes that would make your friends in Star Fleet boil over and sentiments that would thoroughly alienate your admirers among the Naturalborn. If I were to divide them down the middle I could get two great programs out of this… Or I could edit myself out entirely and just let you argue with yourself… Dolphin versus Dolphin…”  
            Dolphin laughed. “Well, I was never trying to win any popularity contests…”  
            Ivonovic laughed, then took on more of a serious expression. “You know that you and I set foot on the U.S.S. Hunter on the same day. We never met on that boat, but I think you only got there about an hour before I did…”  
            “28 minutes…”  
            “Why in all the Milky Way do you remember that?”  
            “I was in command. I had to write up the report.”  
            “You were in command of the mission to arrest me?”  
            “I was in command of the U.S.S. Hunter. Technically, Captain Irons was in command of the mission.”

            Ivonovic sat up, alert. “Technically? Why do you say technically?”

            “Because that mission was a disgrace and Minerva Irons doesn’t make those kinds of juvenile mistakes. I’ve served with her for the better part of a year. Irons has been running missions for Star Fleet for nearly a century. She is justifiably legendary for running a tight, flawless operation. There is no way she planned that mission. Someone gave her the plan, laid it out exactly for her, specifically designed to fail – someone with enough authority to expect her to follow their orders to the letter.”  
            Ivonovic ran his fingers through his silver hair. “So you don’t think I was actually meant to be captured?”

            “I don’t think the Hunter’s command staff were supposed to make it out of there alive,” Dolphin said.

            “So if Irons is so sharp, why did she show up in that courtroom?” Ivonovic asked.  
            “Same reason you did,” Dolphin replied. “You knew that courtroom was a trap. Why do people walk open-eyed into traps? You had exculpatory evidence – you still do – somewhere... You’ve been keeping your powder dry all this time. As for Irons, no other Star Fleet crew that I’ve ever heard of could have made it out of that courtroom. Whoever set that trap seriously underestimated the hand-to-hand capabilities of the Hunter’s command staff.”  
            Ivonovic raised his eyebrows. “Clearly I underestimated your detective skills…”  
            “New York City District Attorney’s office. You don’t get to work there without passing their tests - and their training program. I said I took too long investigating cases – not that I was incompetent about it.”

            Ivonovic laughed again. “What evidence do you have?”

            Dolphin started ticking points off on his fingers: “Eighteen dead men in the most important courtroom on the Colony of New Hope. And Irons just warps away like it’s nothing. No investigation. Not a peep out of Star Fleet or the Tribunal. Your Vice Governor and all the other politicians on New Hope who should have made hay out of all those bodies to further their own agendas - silent. It’s like those men were never even there…”  
           Dolphin ticked a second finger, “Second, after your cronies failed to break you out of the brig at Star Base 11, a mysterious top of the line cardassian battle cruiser, complete with a romulan cloaking device, nearly blows me out of the stars in an attempt to rescue you – and they eventually succeed, destroying the U.S.S. Challenger with all hands in the process…”  
          “Third – I’m not giving you details – but clearly someone has penetrated the highest levels of Star Fleet Command and compromised some of our top officers… But the biggest clue is – you.” Dolphin pointed a finger at the governor.

          “Me?” said Ivonovic, genuinely surprised. “I’m completely innocent in all of this.”

          “Hardly innocent,” Dolphin replied. “But I don’t think for a second that you committed election fraud. I looked into it. That race was never close. You’ve been winning elections on New Hope your entire life. You never needed to cheat – you don’t fight fair, but you never rigged an election. You never needed to. Not only that, but why are you out here tweaking the Tribunal’s nose and running your subversive little subspace radio program? If Star Fleet really wanted you in custody – if the Tribunal really wanted you to stand trial, they could easily have tracked you down by now. Someone wants you out here doing exactly what you’re doing…”  
          “It sounds to me like you think there’s some enormous conspiracy…” Ivonovic started.  
          “I don’t believe in conspiracy theories.” Dolphin said flatly.  
          “Neither do I,” said Ivonovic.   
“You talk about them often enough on this program,” Dolphin observed. “You have told your listeners they are victims of a vast conspiracy…”

“People are desperate to believe in conspiracy theories,” Ivonovic replied. “If I didn’t tell my listeners their problems were due to some dark plot masterminded by malefactors, they would stop listening to me in favor of someone else who did. It’s the same reason our ancestors were desperate to believe in devils and demons. Nothing motivates a following like the idea that dark forces are aligned against you.”

“I think people want to see agency in what is more of a confluence of events,” Dolphin said. “A groundswell of change goes unnoticed until suddenly you are living in a very different society than you thought you were. What once seemed safe is now threatening – and it is very easy to imagine an organized, disciplined, malevolent group is suddenly unmaking your world.”

Ivonovic shook his head. “Conspiracies work when there are only a few people involved. Get a lot of people invovled and someone’s going to blab. People just aren’t that disciplined. Not even the romulans. People crack. They brag. They splurge with ill-gotten gains. They cover their own asses – they document. They get cold feet – they get scared. They tell. No one is that disciplined. Not even religious fanatics.”

            “Unless they have successfully completed the kolinahr,” said Dolphin.

            Ivonovic's eyes grew wide and he looked like he was about to laugh. “Vulcans???” He fell back into his chair, bounced the back of his head off the overstuffed back cushion, looked at Dolphin again, spread his arms wide, resting them on the arms of the chair.  
            The two men just looked at each other for a few moments – each evaluating the other.  
            Ivonovic looked down, spoke more quietly, “Vulcans…” He looked up again. “Okay Detective Kenny, here is something that has been bothering me ever since Star Base 11. When Admiral Burton was interviewing me about my defense… Well, you’ve heard of Sorek, Brack and Evens?”  
            Dolphin looked surprised. “Who hasn’t? A vulcan, a ferengi and a human partner up to create the best law firm on Earth? They have a reputation – you go up against them, you lose. I’ve been in court with Sorek. He is a spellbinding orator – best I’ve ever heard. Cost me a big case. But still, just to hear that old vulcan talk… It was actually a pleasure to take a shellacking from him.”  
            “Yeah, well, Admiral Burton let slip that Sorek had been interested in my case since he learned about the pending indictment – she didn’t say since he learned I _was_ indicted... It’s one of those inconvenient little details people don’t intend to let slip because it reveals the truth.” Ivonovic leaned forward, speaking pointedly. “How did Sorek know about a pending indictment before it was delivered? Sorek is in private practice – he’s not a member of the Tribunal. I don’t care how legendary you are, no one who isn’t on the Tribunal learns about pending indictments.”

            Dolphin looked incredulous. “Sorek???”

            “Here’s another fact for you, Kenny,” said Ivonovic. “This may well be my last broadcast. That cardassian battle cruiser didn’t just have a romulan cloaking device. It also had a romulan puppet-master. And she is not happy with me. My program has been about reform but she wants me to push a separatist agenda. Whatever you may think of me, I am loyal to the Federation. I can cut deals with cardassians, but I cannot handle this romulan – she is way out of my league. She isn’t military. Way too polished. I wouldn’t be surprised if she answers directly to the Romulan Senate.” Ivonovic took a deep breath. “If I disappear after this broadcast, I might need rescuing…”

10.10


	116. Episode 10.11 - Interview With An Ethicist: Deus Ex Machina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter is trapped in a vast debris field and cannot go to warp - with a deadly gamma wave burst approaching at the speed of light. Survival is highly unlikely. With only minutes left to live, some of the crew become amorous... Others calmly wait for the end...
> 
>  _“It won’t be enough,” said Navigator Johanna Imex, looking over Sun’s shoulder. We could run those emitters at 200% and we’re still going to get cooked in here.”_  
>  _“If we were to run the emitters at 200%, we would destroy the emitters and we would no longer have shields,” Sun replied..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Every once in a while I like for my characters to turn and wink at the reader. Minerva Irons gives one of those winks at the end of this scene...
> 
> I never write explicit sex scenes. But I do occasionally show things starting to heat up...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 11: Deus Ex Machina

10.11  
Deus Ex Machina

                About the time that Kenny Dolphin was arriving at Pilgrim’s Landing and disrobing at the behest of the governor’s representatives, 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor (at the navigator’s station), Ensign Ethan Phillips (at the tactical station) and Chief Dewayne Guth (at the pilot’s station) were collaborating to move the Hunter very carefully through a massive debris field that had no obvious business covering as yet unmeasured parsecs almost 800 light years below the galactic plane near the border between the Romulan Star Empire and the Dead Zone.   
                Wherever the Hunter’s running lights illuminated large metal sections, the metal had a greenish sheen to it. The technology was vaguely familiar looking, but no one could identify where they had seen its like before. The scale beggared imagination - dozens of solar systems could easily fit into those parts of the debris field that could be seen, and sensor readings indicated the debris field went on and on for light years in several directions and was more than thousand kilometers deep.  
                The U.S.S. Hunter had temporarily deactivated its holographic interactive avatar. The artificial intelligence was thoroughly engaged in micro targeting the deflectors and the sensors to protect the hull from small debris moving at various, apparently random velocities within the vast field.

                Commander David Pepper was in the captain’s chair, gripping it as though he might suddenly be required to use the arms of the chair to steer the boat by brute force. Chief Guth was flying the Hunter manually, using the control stick from under the pilot’s console that had last been used by Kenny Dolphin in the landing on Ocean nearly seven months previously.  
                No one was talking – as if their silence would somehow make it easier to detect and avoid chunks of debris. Those crew members who were not glued to their workstations were glued to viewscreens or windows. None of the holographic systems were in use. The load on the computer was so heavy that Hunter had recruited Dr. Kim, the evolved personality stored on the tactical unit initially to serve as an emergency doctor, to separately operate the tactical unit’s shield and sensor array.   
                In the ground operations center, Lt. Tauk kept getting up to pace, getting tired and returning to his seat. 2nd Lt. T’Lon and her investigators were glued to their workstations, analyzing telemetry, seeking a good target. Ensign Tolon Reeves and his four tactical specialists were in transporter room #1 - wearing EVA suits and ready to beam over to any part of the structure that might turn out to be complete enough to merit an away mission.

                Navigator Johanna Imex was on deck 2 in deflector control and the main navigation center. She opened a channel to the bridge. “Commander, I am reading a strong gamma burst at -87 degrees z axis. It should arrive in 48 minutes.”  
                Pep’s voice came from the bridge, “Plot an escape course.”  
                “There isn’t one,” Imex replied. “We are barely able to move in this debris field. There is no direction that we can go to warp that would not shred the Hunter. We can’t even go back down toward the burst - it would reach us before we could clear the field.”  
                “Recommendations?” Pep asked.  
                Dr. Carrera responded from main engineering: “Put the densest piece of debris we can find between us and that burst, angle the vessel’s nose away from the wave to provide lowest possible angle of exposure and focus deflectors between us and that gamma wave.”  
                On the bridge, 2nd Lt. Gamor spoke up, “Ethan, Johanna, take a look at the large section above us to the port side - what does that look like to you?”  
                “It looks like some sort of hanger bay,” Ensign Phillips said.  
                From deflector control, Navigator Imex concurred. “Parking for big ships. It is as dense as anything I can find in this area.”  
                “Put us inside, nose up at +93z and leave enough room between the tail of our main nacelle and that object for our shields,” Pep ordered. “Dr. C., get me those shields!”  
                “We’re on it,” Carerra replied from main engineering. “Hui, join Imex in deflector control. Hunter will configure the shields. I need you to keep an eye on the output. We’re going need to those emitters running at 110% when that wave gets here – and not before.”

                Ensign Sun Ho Hui was not much taller than Dr. Carrera – both men barely over 5’ and both small of build. Both trained regularly on the track on deck 5 and were fast runners. With deflector control only two decks up, Sun took to the ladders as he could scramble up in less time that it would take to wait for the lift. On arriving in deflector control, he quickly set up a screen to monitor the approaching gamma wave and another to monitor deflector output. After verifying the most advantageous deflector configuration, he set up the output matrix to oversaturate the deflectors to 110% in the seconds before projected gamma wave arrival. He also set up a switch that would do the same thing as a manual failsafe.  
                “It won’t be enough,” said Navigator Johanna Imex, looking over Sun’s shoulder. We could run those emitters at 200% and we’re still going to get cooked in here.”  
                “If we were to run the emitters at 200%, we would destroy the emitters and we would no longer have shields,” Sun replied.  
                Johanna Imex grimaced. “Mr. Sun, I’m not ready to die. I never thought if it happened out here that I would see it coming.” Imex was, like Lt. Gamor, tall and muscular, stronger and heavier than Ensign Sun. “You can run the numbers, Sir – do you think we’re going to survive this?”  
                Sun turned his chair to face her. “Given the vector, depth and intensity of the approaching gamma radiation field, our current course of action provides the best chance for survival, which I would estimate at one in several hundred million.”  
                Imex rose from her chair, paced a little. “I envy you, Mr. Sun. You are far more vulcan than I am. Odds like that are pretty much the same as certain death. I don’t see how you can be so calm...”  
                “My mother is vulcan. Given your appearance, I always assumed you were half too. You have the look,” Sun said.  
                Imex unconsciously touched her ear. “Paternal great-grandmother,” she said. She flipped her ear-tip with a finger. “Except for these, I’m completely human. You’re always so calm, so… aloof… I mean, not aloof, but nothing seems to get to you.”  
                Sun raised an eyebrow. “When I was a child, I was told I would have to choose between being vulcan and being human. I’ve honestly never felt I had to make a decision. I’ve never tried to be one or the other. I have a bajoran grandfather on my father’s side – but no one ever told me I had to figure out how to be bajoran.”  
                Imex brought her face close to Sun’s face, studying his nose. She caressed his nose with her finger, laughed nervously. “I can barely see it, but I can feel it – the nose ridge – just a little.” Her finger trailed across his nose again.  
                Sun blushed violently and looked down suddenly, caught his breath.  
                “So that’s what makes Mr. Sun rise,” said Imex, smiling suddenly.  
                “I…” Sun’s voice was suddenly hushed, nervous, aware for the first time that he was probably a decade younger than the navigator. “I never went through Pon Farr. I always assumed that part of me was human…”  
                “Maybe it’s bajoran,” Imex teased, still caressing Sun’s nose. “Does it have ridges too? We have 17 minutes left to live… Let’s find out…”  
                “I have to make sure the emitters hit 110%...” Sun managed..  
                “Oh they’ll hit 110%… I’ll drive Mr. Sun,” Imex said. “You just keep an eye on those emitters…”  
                “Maybe you should call me Hui?”

\- * -

                Justice Minerva Irons, Dr. Tali Shae and Lt. Commander Mlady were in Irons’ office, quietly watching through the window behind Irons’ desk. Not that they expected to see anything. Gamma radiation, deadly to all life forms, is far outside of the visible light spectrum, even for bolians. Seconds before the gamma wave was scheduled to arrive, just as Ensign Sun was swatting unnecessarily at the manual switch to bring the Hunter’s shield emitters to 110%, the entire debris field suddenly came alive with brilliant green light. Countless, apparently random particles of debris were instantly connected into a vast, cascading green web. Irons stood up and walked to the window, joined by Tali and Mlady, looking out in wonder at what was evidently a vast machine come to life.  
                Many areas flickered on and off, presumably allowing significant amounts of the deadly gamma radiation through. But in the Hunter’s immediate environs, and in several other areas, the field remained strong. The entire event lasted less than four minutes, then the lights gradually began to fade.  
                Pep’s voice was broadcast shipwide: “The gamma wave has, apparently, collapsed. All sectors report any damage or contamination…”

                Minerva Irons turned to Tali Shae and Mlady and smiled. “Now _that_ is a deus ex machina.”

10.11


	117. Episode 10.12 - Interview With An Ethicist: The U.S.S. Defiant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> Lt. Kenny Dolphin commandeers the U.S.S. Defiant against the wishes of the Deep Space 9 station commander, taking the famous ship on a strange and subversive assignment.
> 
>  _With her Star Fleet operations officer and head of security suddenly called away on a mission by Star Fleet Command, Dolphin, as a first lieutenant, was the ranking Star Fleet officer on DS9. Col. Norma was outraged when he pulled rank to commandeer the U.S.S. Defiant. Finding out that this move was authorized at the highest levels of Star Fleet did little to assuage her wrath..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The promised plot twist...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 12: The U.S.S. Defiant

10.12  
The U.S.S. Defiant

             It had been decades since Kenny Dolphin had travelled with a suitcase. But one had been provided for him – hand-made and designed to carry no more than two suits. As much as he had enjoyed the feeling of wearing a suit, donning a Star Fleet uniform on his return to Deep Space 9 – even though it was the traditional yellow operations uniform rather than the black JAG uniform he had worn for the past several months – felt lighter and more natural to him. He had no reason to keep the gray 3-piece suit and contributed it and the shoes he had worn with it to the replicator in return for a uniform. He did keep the hand-made Gillano suit given to him at Pilgrim’s Landing. The hand-made Wellingtons were the most comfortable boots he had ever worn and were acceptable for Star Fleet uniforms. They easily added an inch to his not inconsiderable height.  
             The stateroom provided to him on DS9 as an active duty Star Fleet officer seemed enormous – nearly three times the size of the lounge he shared with three other department directors on the Hunter. And this was one of the smaller accommodations aboard DS9.   
             Dolphin had already made a call to a cultural archeologist on Earth, which led to a conversation with a Federation Councilmember, which in turn led to conversations with two top Star Fleet admirals and a member of the Federation Tribunal, calling in favors that really weren’t his to call - deftly borrowing influence from his captain.  Dolphin almost felt as though he might get a nosebleed from traveling in such powerful company. He knew he was on thin ice with this plan and that his actions were certain to get him into serious trouble with his captain. But his plan had the virtue of being the oldest and most reliable ploy in any prosecutor’s playbook: set a thief to catch a thief.

             Colonel Norma Bacys, the Bajoran Army commander of DS9, was less than receptive to him. She looked at Dolphin suspiciously. With her Star Fleet operations officer and head of security suddenly called away on a mission by Star Fleet Command, Dolphin, as a first lieutenant, was the ranking Star Fleet officer on DS9. Col. Norma was outraged when he pulled rank to commandeer the U.S.S. Defiant. Finding out that this move was authorized at the highest levels of Star Fleet did little to assuage her wrath.

             “I don’t know who you think you are, or how you have such influence with Star Fleet Command. This jointly operated space station is the Defiant’s duty station and you are not taking that ship anywhere without DS9 command staff present. Besides, I cannot spare any pilots to fly you back to Earth.”  
             “I am a pilot, and I am qualified on Escort class starships,” Dolphin replied.  
             Norma focused on Dolphin’s face. “Who are you? You look familiar…”  
             “Lieutenant Kenneth Dolphin. I am currently on detached assignment, but my duty post is director of flight operations on the U.S.S. Hunter.”  
              The bajoran station commander shook her head. “It’s gone. You just look familiar. Something about your voice too. Okay, since I cannot stop you from taking the Defiant, I am coming with you. I will be in command of this mission.”  
             “I will provide you the mission specifications once we are onboard,” Dolphin replied. “This will be a bit of an unusual mission.”  
             “We depart in 15 minutes, Lieutenant.” Norma’s tone was formal and dismissive.  
             “Thank you sir. I will see you on board.” Protocol allowed Dolphin to salute a superior officer from an allied or incorporated military. Dolphin gave his best salute, waited a few heartbeats and when it was not returned, turned sharply and exited the colonel’s office.

             Onboard the Defiant, Norma had not warmed to Dolphin at all. His mission description did nothing to alleviate the tension – especially the requirement that the bulk of the mission be carried out using the romulan cloaking device that the Defiant still carried. The Romulan Senate had not asked for the cloaking device to be returned. This was in no small part because of the assistance Star Fleet and Bajor had both provided helping to evacuate Romulus during the Hobus event. With both the Federation and Bajor still providing food aid and other materials to help the romulans rebuild on their colonies, relations were still not warm. But both the Romulan Senate and their military regarded the presence of a Star Fleet vessel able to carry out missions in the Gamma Quadrant under cloak to be a useful backstop against potential treaty violations by the Dominion.  
             Once Dolphin had provided the mission specifications, Colonel Norma Bacys exhibited no further desire to converse with him. From the pilot’s console, he could feel her eyes burning holes in the back of his skull. The joint Star Fleet and Bajoran Army crew had picked up on Col. Norma’s displeasure and were walking on eggshells. They tried to avoid speaking at all costs. After a stop at a distant Federation colony, Dolphin changed course and put the Defiant on a heading directly toward Earth, traveling at warp 6 – the highest speed at which the cloaking device was still highly effective.  
             Once the course was laid in and all systems were secured, Col. Norma ordered the bridge cleared except for Dolphin. She ordered the transporter chief to the bridge along with the guest they had just picked up. Dolphin swiveled as the transporter engineer, a Bajoran Army officer, escorted Governor Ivonovic onto the bridge, and then left when she was dismissed by the colonel.

“So you are the infamous Dr. Kenny Dolphin… I knew that I knew you from somewhere,” Norma said to Dolphin. She turned toward Ivonovic. “And I know who you are too. Now someone had better tell me what this is all about.”  
             “I have been charged by the Federation Council with escorting our guest to Nairobi,” said Dolphin.  
             “I have formally surrendered the office of planetary governor of the Colony of New Hope,” Ivonovic said. “Governor Scott Cavanaugh, my former Vice Governor, has recalled our representative to the Federation Council and appointed me in her place. I am to report to the Council as ordered by my new governor. When we arrive at Earth, Dr. Dolphin and I are to be transported directly into the council chambers in Nairobi.”  
            “You are a fugitive from justice!” Col. Norma almost roared. “You cannot be seated on the council!”  
            Dolphin spoke up, “Under the Federation Charter and the Tribunal Charter, unless and until the council refuses to seat Governor... um… that is… umm… Councilmember Ivonovic, the Tribunal does not have jurisdiction over him.”  
            “What, are you a lawyer too?”  
            “Actually, for the duration of this mission,” Dolphin replied, “I’m his lawyer…”  
            “You’re enjoying this way too much,” Ivonovic intoned. He turned toward Col. Norma. “I should tell you that the final broadcast for Subspace Radio Ivonovic is airing now. You might want to tune in…”

  
10.12


	118. Episode 10.13 - Interview With An Ethicist: The Library of the Progenitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The U.S.S. Hunter finally arrives at the ancient Library of the Progenitors - and discover more history than they can manage.  
> A wealth of mathematical information will change Dr. Carrera's life forever...  
> Dr. Boles makes an unsettling discovery...
> 
>  _The Hunter’s floodlights only provided partial lighting inside an area that could support a large number of large space vessels. On one side of a transparent barrier was what appeared to be a vast, dense field of randomly swirling particles. On the other side was enclosed space that the Hunter floated in – and that entirely dwarfed the patrol vessel. A series of 144 transparent tubes containing what were evidently workstations was attached to the transparent wall that bifurcated this enormous structure. Each tubular booth contained six workstations..._  
> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> This is the next to last scene in Series 1. I just completed Episode 16 and will begin posting Series 2 soon. 
> 
> It feels like I'm laying track with the train coming up behind me...

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 13: The Library of the Progenitors

10.13  
The Library of the Progenitors

            About the time that Lieutenant Kenneth Dolphin was making calls from Deep Space 9 and using Justice Irons’ influence in ways that would almost certainly put him in her bad graces, the U.S.S. Hunter, fresh from being saved and dwarfed by the giant machine 800 light years below the galactic plane of the Milky Way, was once again dwarfed - this time by an enormous ring structure that completely encircled a star. The ring was approximately a kilometer deep, between 0.5 and 15 kilometers wide and almost 16 light minutes in diameter.  
           The ring was bilaterally symmetrical, with two large sections that were 15 kilometers wide - on exact opposite sides of the star - and tapered to a width of a half-kilometer. These two narrow segments served as axis points for the ring structure as it revolved, creating an enormous gyroscopic motion around its star.

            “These people had way too much time on their hands,” said Pep.  
            The senior staff were observing a holographic projection of the structure in the executive conference room.  
            “Please tell me that whole thing isn’t the library…” said Gamor.  
            Tauk allowed himself a light cough, cleared his throat, then said, “The library isn’t there at all. It is in a separate orbit, farther out.”  
            Gamor called for the ship’s interactive avatar: “Hunter…”  
            The avatar appeared next to the holographic display of the ring structure.  
            “It’s good to see you again, Hunter,” said Dr. Carrera.  
            “Thank you, Dr. Carrera,” the elderly looking hologram replied. “Lieutenant Gamor, I assume you want me to display the library?”  
            “Yes please.”  
            The avatar turned toward the display, which pulled out, then zoomed in on what appeared at first to be a small planet in an orbit beyond the ring. As the image grew, it became apparent that it was not a moon, but a very large machine, encircled by a debris field similar to the one they had encountered below the galactic plane.  
             “Can we take the Hunter inside that field?” asked Justice Minerva Irons.  
             “Yes,” Hunter replied. “The structure inside the field appears to be open - I project that we can enter the structure and travel safely inside it.”  
             “Is that field active? Will it protect us against gamma waves?” asked Lieutenant Commander Mlady.  
             “We could test it with a short gamma burst,” Dr. Carrera replied.  
             “Approved,” Irons said. “Test it, then take us inside. We will reconvene once we have a sense of what’s in there.”

             Nearly an hour later, the Hunter was inside an enormous, open structure. The Hunter’s floodlights only provided partial lighting inside an area that could support a large number of large space vessels. On one side of a transparent barrier was what appeared to be a vast, dense field of randomly swirling particles. On the other side was enclosed space that the Hunter floated in – and that entirely dwarfed the patrol vessel. A series of 144 transparent tubes containing what were evidently workstations was attached to the transparent wall that bifurcated this enormous structure. Each tubular booth contained six workstations.  
             The Hunter started near one side wall of this structure, traveling slowly just below the level of the workstation booths. An atmosphere was beamed into one of the workstation booths, pressurizing it. Then two of Hunter’s crew beamed in, wearing full EVA suits. After a few moments, they removed their gloves and helmets, which remained attached to their EVA suits by lanyards and floated nearby; apparently there was no artificial gravity within these booths. The Hunter crewmembers sat side-by-side at two of the workstations. After a few more moments, the Library came alive - particles on the other side of the transparent barrier whirled, a number of particles racing toward the workstation booth - forming images and what appeared to be writing against the wall in front of the workstations.  
             The Hunter moved on, pressurizing another booth and beaming in two more researchers. Some of the booths were broken and could not be pressurized, but most of them were intact. Two-person teams were deployed at 15-minute intervals and allowed to work for two hours. At the end of that time, each two-member team would be beamed back to the Hunter, followed by the atmosphere the Hunter had used to pressurize the booth.  
              Both interceptors launched from the Hunter and trailed the boat, using their sensors to record the images that each team managed to evoke from the Library and transmitting those to the Hunter for storage.

              Irons had a crew full of brilliant individuals with diverse and broad educations and backgrounds. To make best use of this brainpower, each crewmember was given at least one two-hour shift within the library booths to attempt to understand how to operate the Library’s reading technology, find the information that Admiral Scumuk had somehow found and decipher the alien language.  
               Predictably, Flight Engineer Tomos, who had been a curator at the library at the Sanctuary of the Waterbirds on Cophus II for most of his life, was the first to understand how to use the workstations and how to focus the search for what the Library-makers - whom everyone assumed were the progenitors - knew about the gamma wave, what they knew about the great machine below the galactic plane that apparently had been built to protect the Milky Way against those gamma waves, and the function of the ring structure the Library shared this solar system with.  
               It was also not surprising that Dr. Carrera and Lt. Tauk, the Hunter’s two most brilliant mathematicians, were able to identify the math - which a majority of the characters presented by the Library represented - was built on a base 12 number system. With help from the many other crew members with advanced math training, including the transporter engineers and the navigators, they were able to learn how the higher math functions worked.  
               The language itself was cracked by the Hunter’s giant first officer, Commander David Pepper, whose doctorate in literature had exposed him to both the written and spoken forms of more than a dozen alien languages. These crewmembers were highly productive and took several shifts in the library booths. Other crew members might have made only one or two useful observations - or none - during their first shift. But Irons made sure each crew member served at least two shifts in the booths and each found their second shift far more productive than the first.  
               Irons pulled two shifts in the booths herself, but dedicated most of her effort to working with the interactive holographic avatar to develop an overview of the cascade of information being elicited by the crew from the Library.  
               It swiftly became evident that the 144 workstation booths functioned identically. Nonetheless, Irons kept the Hunter moving slowly, determined to use as many of these booths as were functional. This strategy paid off when Transporter Engineer K’rok, during a shift in one of the booths discovered a sheaf of large square papers on the floor of the booth. These turned out to be detailed notes in Admiral Scumuk’s handwriting. Once these were deciphered and the information propagated to the research teams, the search for the needed information leapt into high gear.

              One of the results from all this research was a prediction of the frequency and timing of the onslaught of gamma waves into this region of space. During the 36-hour period Irons had allowed for the initial research, the Library’s gamma shield had activated 6 times with wave protection periods between two and eight minutes. A quiet period of 49 hours was predicted, which would give the Hunter sufficient time to return to the protected hangar near the romulan border where it had survived a previous gamma wave. Which put a hard deadline to the crew’s research at the Library.

10.13


	119. Episode 10.14 - Interview With An Ethicist: Who Built the Hulk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .  
> The final segment of Star Trek Hunter - Series 1
> 
> Please pick up the story with Star Trek Hunter - Series 2
> 
> Until that thread is published, you can have a look at TEASERS from Series 2 at the following link:
> 
> [ **TEASERS!! Star Trek Hunter - Series 2** ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20813897)

**Star Trek Hunter**  
Episode 10: Interview With An Ethicist  
Scene 14: Who Made the Hulk?

10.14  
Who Made the Hulk?

              As the Hunter was returning toward Federation space, Irons held a shipwide conference. Irons and most of the senior staff (except Mlady, who was in command) were gathered in the executive conference room, but their images and voices were transmitted holographically to several points throughout the boat, including the bridge, ground operations, medical and engineering.

             Irons was summarizing what had been learned: “So we now know that the relative movement of the Gamma Gun Galaxy…”  
             “Are we really calling it that?” Dr. Tali Shae asked.  
             “That is the name Navigator Imex gave it. She discovered it; she names it. As I was saying, from the relative movement of the Gamma Gun Galaxy to ours, those gamma waves will destroy all life in the Alpha Quadrant over the next 4,000 years. The more immediate problem is that they will very soon make romulan territory uninhabitable. We do not have locations on all romulan colonies, but any colonies near the Dead Zone will need to be evacuated - as soon as within the next decade.”  
              Pep spoke up. “We also know that our big green friend down there that eats gamma radiation is also moving relative to our galaxy to continue to protect the galaxy from the gamma waves. And it would do so effectively if, what Admiral Scumuk referred to as ‘the Hulk’ was in proper working order.”  
             “And we know how the Hulk was built,” said Lieutenant Napoleon Boles. “Or more precisely, who built it.”

             All eyes turned to Lt. Boles.  
  
             “I got interested in the ring structure,” Boles continued. “It, and the Library, are located too close to the Hulk to be a coincidence. I asked Navigator Imex to confirm - not only is the Hulk moving to track the incoming gamma waves, so is the Library and its solar system. I figured the ring structure was some sort of factory for some critical component of the Hulk. And I was right… The progenitors came to that ring by the billions to become the workers that built the Hulk. I don’t know if they came voluntarily. A new race was created in that ring. A race uniquely equipped to build and maintain the Hulk. And now we know why that technology looked so familiar. We have seen its derivative.”  
             Tali Shae was mildly annoyed. “Okay Napoleon, enough with the dramatic build up. What are you talking about?”  
             Boles smiled grimly. “The progenitors genetically altered their own people to transform them into the race that constructed and maintained the Hulk. That ring structure was the cradle of that race. And I am fairly certain we will need their descendants to come back to the Hulk to repair it. They are probably the Alpha Quadrant’s only hope. The only people who can repair the Hulk.”

             Tali Shae banged the conference table with her fist, making her cup jump. Her antennae jumped with it… “Who???”

             Napoleon Boles’ voice was flat: “The Borg…”

10 - Interview With An Ethicist

   
Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter:   (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter)  
   
At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons  
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper  
Chief Operations Officer - Lt. Commander Mlady

 

Medical Director - Lt. Commander Tali Shae  
     Asst. Medical Director - 2nd Lt. Jazz Sam Sinder  
          Ensign Chrissiana Trei  
                 Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif  
                 Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj  
                 Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim  
   
Director of Flight Operations - Lt. Kenneth Dolphin  
    Asst. Flight Dir. - 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor  
               Navigator Johanna Imex  
               Navigator Eli Strahl  
           Ensign Ethan Phillips  
                Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth  
                Flight Specialist Dih Terri  
                Flight Specialist Joey Chin  
                Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar  
   
Director of Ground Operations - Lt. Tauk  
     Asst. Ground Ops Dir. - 2nd Lt. T’Lon   
               Investigator Lynhart Shran  
               Investigator Buttons Ngumbo  
        Ensign Tolon Reeves  
              Tactical Specialist Jarrong  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Rys  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Garr  
              Tactical Specialist Belo Cantys  
   
Director of Engineering - Lt. Sarekson Carrera  
     Asst. Engineering Dir. - 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek  
            Midshipman Tammy Brazil  
               Transporter Engineer K'rok  
          Ensign Sun Ho Hui  
              Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas  
              Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs  
              Flight Engineer Tomos  
              Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon


	120. Star Trek Hunter - Series 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SERIES 2 Is now posted!

Follow Star Trek Hunter into year 2 at the following link.

[**Star Trek Hunter - Series 2** And thank you for reading!! rbs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20868920)


End file.
